Ascension: Vol I
by perrilloux.bf68
Summary: For 200 years Seras, a youkai, has lived in the shadows. Now after a chance encounter with a young vampire, she finds herself welcomed into a home surrounded by a curious family. Her past is repeating, and Seras knows her time is limited. When her past rises to claim its revenge, will she descend back into the shadows or ascend to her rightful place as the No-Life Queen? [29up]
1. Chapter One: Into the Light

**Ascension**

**Chapter One: ****Into The Light**

**Disclaimer: Though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

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Seras blinked.

She watched silently through the thick covering of forest foliage, thick with snow and ice, not leaves and flowers, at the thing fumbling in front of her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. There was a vampire on the forest floor.

She blinked again, then sniffed the air. After a moment, she nodded. The stench confirmed it. It was indeed the stink of petrified decay that always accompanied such creatures.

It was no illusion. It was a fact. There was a real-live, well sort of alive, vampire kneeling on the forest floor. It was covered in snow, the same color of its death-like complexion. Its hair was slowly freezing in the wind and it was crying silently, completely basking in what appeared to be - Seras grimaced - self-pity.

Silently, she tilted her head to the side, her mind shifting with the movement. She peered closer, then tilted it back just as silently. Shaking her head, she quickly changed her mind. Seras let her tail curl in on itself. No, maybe it wasn't self-pity. It seemed… angry. _Or frustrated,_ Seras thought. She sighed pondering the reasons why.

The vampire quickly stumbled to its feet, brushing off the snow drenching the bottom of its jeans.

_No,_ Seras corrected. Quickly wasn't the right word. She tilted her head the other way. Though for a mortal its speed was still considered amazingly fast. In the eyes of any immortal, however, the amount of acceleration was noticeably lacking.

Why was that? Was it injured?

Seras furrowed her eyebrows, then noticed the girl limping as she shifted her weight.

_Great_, Seras thought. _There's an injured vampire crying in the woods._

The vampire wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. They looked dirty. At the female's new height, Seras could tell it was a "she" and not a "he" due to the now noticeably long, wavy hair the color of chocolate, the slim feminine figure, and the - she frowned deeper - bright pink highlights of her Columbia brand skiing jacket. Seras' eyebrows leveled heavily over her yellow pupils. _She has a fashion sense?_ She nearly rolled her eyes at the concept, but then she thought of a bright red great coat, white gloves, and a sophisticated, yet elegant looking charcoal gray suit. She thought of the mass murder and insane laughter, of the blood that normally surrounded such things. That stilted her thoughts. Appearances could be deceiving, after all. Seras nodded. Indeed, they could be fatally deceiving. She narrowed her eyes even further. She was often forced to remind herself of this.

Seras stilled. The vampire was beginning to leave the area. Bending low, back arched and tense, the vampire made ready to run. Then it paused. With a quick movement, the girl threw her hands clumsily in the air and just walked… no stomped… _yes, she's definitely stomping… _out of the small clearing. Curious, Seras watched her movements, her sharp eyes never leaving her. She made a decision. She would follow. The girl was… interesting.

Within moments, Seras also left the small clearing. Clinging to the shadows, she silently ensured that her seal was in place as she rose from her hiding spot. She left nothing in her wake, not a print, nor a sound; nothing to still the late afternoon silence. Long after, the last rays of the sunlight continued to hang snuggly in the deadened branches, casting the woods in light.

It had taken Seras a grand total of a half an hour and thirty seconds for her to realize that the vampire was hunting. Then, it took her a grand total of two seconds more to realize that the girl sucked at it.

_She's too frustrated_, Seras thought with a sigh. _She has no patience, and no skill, just brute force._ The girl's knee buckled and Seras's tail flicked. _I guess being injured doesn't help, either._

Seras watched a few moments longer amazed at her own inability to look away, even as the young teenager stomped after and ran off every single rabbit, deer, and hedgehog (_really a hedgehog?_) she came across into some hole or den that the vampire was clearly unwilling to venture into. She snorted. Apparently, she wasn't that hungry.

Pleased with her conclusion, Seras prepared herself to leave when she caught glimpse of something in the fading light; a slivered smudge of the color of the girl's eyes. They were jet black; ebony, deep, dead. It was a color that made her stomach clench.

_Perhaps, I was wrong,_ she thought. _She's absolutely starving and with the rate she's going…_ Seras tapped a clawed finger on the tree trunk it was currently resting. Her mind coiled in on itself, and her heart argued. It fizzled lightly. Then, she pushed off of the tree. With the same simple silent grace that she'd used to stalk her current study, Seras turned and left not once looking back.

When she returned, Seras couldn't help but roll her eyes. Again.

What was with this vampire's habit of crying in the snow? Her eye twitched. I _bet she's lost too, and I haven't found any other vampires in the surrounding area._ Seras snorted softly. _Was she stupid?_ Seras eyed the incredibly bright pink jacket and bared a fang. _Or maybe, she's just highly dense._

She sighed. _I hope I don't regret this_.

Taking a breath, Seras slowly lifted her tail and let it purposefully fall with a low thud back onto the snow covered ground. As a result, birds flew, trees shook, and Seras found herself looking into the startled black eyes of one really, hungry vampire. She stretched her neck forward.

_I wonder what breed she is?_ Being young meant nothing, Seras knew. Though it was a well known fact that new vampires across species lines had their own brand of strength, a lot of weight of a vampire's overall worth came from the vampire's familiar line; in short, from its Maker. He determined everything, breed, ability, strength. Seras couldn't keep herself from admitting that she was curious. This vampire's Maker hadn't seemed to have taught her anything. Where was he?

Seras watched the girl slowly scan the area trying to figure out what had made the sound. Her posture was stiff and guarded, ready for the last shoe to drop. Seras waited patiently, a second, a minute, and then when the vampire' shoulder began to slump. She moved.

The timing was perfect. The vampire turned away, and Seras let it fly. With a gentle toss of her massive head, the large carcass flew, falling heavily through the air before crashing to the ground with a thud.

The vampire reacted in a snap. From pure instinct alone, she'd sprang to her feet and barely escaped being crushed by the massive corpse flying at her. Alarmed, she looked down at the broken body. It had landed at her feet, a full size, fully antlered buck. Its neck was broken. Its blood unspilt. The vampire took a breath while her irises darkened further. She backed away, her eyes visually widening. Seras watched them closely.

"He – Hello?" The girl's voice was small and clearly expressed how frightened she was. Seras watched her edge towards her meal one small step at a time. "Please, if there's anyone there. Please come out."

Seras let her mind reach towards the girl's only to reassure her, if for nothing else. She was strictly unable to speak at this moment, at least not in any way that this slip of a girl could understand. So, she didn't try to. _Plus_, she reasoned. _That could unnecessarily complicate things_. She took a breath. No. This was the best way.

So, Seras's mind extended, then it stopped. She tried again and then again. Then, her mind questioned the circumstance. To her surprise, Seras found that the girl had successfully blocked all of her attempts to penetrate her mind, each block stronger than the others. She head tilted. _So, the dimwit isn't completely helpless_, she thought. She was impressed, somewhat.

"Is?" Seras looked back to the girl. She was now pushing the corpse gently with the toe of her booted foot. "Is this for me?" she asked quietly, unsure in the continuing silence.

Grudgingly, Seras shifted her weight allowing the snow to squelch softly under her paws in answer. Then, she silently stalked to the other side of the clearing.

The girl's head snapped to where the second sound had come from. She was shaking. "Was this because of my hunting," the vampire asked rather sheepishly. "You probably live here right. I'm… I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I know that I'm a pretty bad hunter right now. I don't know why I can't seem to catch anything and I haven't been able to find much game anyway."

The girl was rambling and lying. Seras let a small grin spread across her lips. _I hate liars_, she thought.

The girl's voice quickly snapped shut upon noticing another corpse being thrown at her from the left and another immediately afterwards from the right. Seras watched in amusement as the vampire stumbled over her feet and the corpses now piled around them. She could tell that the girl was afraid, but that didn't particularly bother her. She was curious to see what she would do with that fear. How weak was she? Where did her strength lie?

The vampire laughed nervously. "You are laughing at me," she said, climbing around the large game. She turned in a small circle to gaze at the forest around her. She was fully aware that something or many somethings were circling her. She didn't know why or who it was.

Seras made sure of that. With a smile, she made a small cluster of sounds that made the girl visually bristle.

"Oh come on, I wasn't that bad," she said more loudly, more enthusiastically. "And look at these. I – I can't eat all of these myself. I'm so small."

Seras audibly grunted.

"And I might as well share with you your hard work. Would you come out so that I could see you?" The girl paused. "Umm… see you all. All of you. I mean." The girl fake coughed, trying tp cover her uncertainty.

Seras didn't do anything. She waited, she paced, and she watched. She was solely focused on the girl and then the world changed.

During the last few hours, the late afternoon sun quickly perished with the dawning of a brilliant full moon. A glorious evening, an evening like another she remembered.

Seras looked up into the sky through the leafless branches of the woods. Though the moon in its fullness could bask the entire forest in its silver mystical light, in its darkness imitating the light, it didn't make it glow golden like the girl had began to do.

The glow quickly caught Seras's eye. The light had started out small like a wreath that first formed around the girl's body. Then the girl's weight shifted and the wreath expanded, lightening up the clearing and the woods around it. It was so bright, it was almost day. It seemed, Seras mused, the girl was able to push out her aura – her life source – and form a barrier around her. The brightly glowing dome circled around the girl, clearly separating her from the corpses and the rest of the area.

Seras felt her eyes widened significantly. _She can form barriers?!_ She asked herself, amazed. She stopped pacing. She watched the girl letting her mind shift again from side to side. _Perhaps, it couldn't hurt_, she thought, letting her gaze shift from the girl to the corpses to the barrier. _What could happen?_

Seras tilted her head. Then on steady confident feet, she stepped into the light.

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**Note: This fan fiction melds multiple stories together with the four listed in the disclaimer being the main ones. Please have an open mind and just enjoy the story as it unfolds.**

**Thank you.**


	2. Chapter Two: Into the Storm

**Chapter Two: Into the Storm, a Parting **

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**Disclaimer: Though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

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The vampire's eyes were gigantic! Her mouth was slack jawed and her head was tilted back in an almost painful looking angle. Seras chuckled. If her vocal cords worked as they did in her human form, Seras would have been laughing loudly and with a bit of unrestrained pride. She would have let out the kind of sound one only hears when someone was saying, "I told you so" and was smugly enjoying the moment just a little too much. Seras bared her fangs playfully; she knew what the girl was seeing.

Though it had been centuries since she had last seen her true form herself, Seras knew that she must have truly been a sight to behold. At the least, she was one that not many would be ready to witness unexpectedly walking out of thin air. A 30 foot muscled frame that was not even half of her true height, but much larger that her smallest, thick black armored scales, sharp razor talons and teeth the size of full length swords which protruded slightly from her thin lips, two large rippled-bone horns, a black flowing mane that outlined the crest of her neck thick and scarred, a large muscled tail that constantly twisted and wreathed from side to side, two massively large tattered black wings currently folded neatly along the gentle curve of her spine, and most importantly, two large glowing red and yellow eyes, both hungry and hollow; Seras smiled. No, she wasn't a sight. She was in fact an event. _For after all_, she thought._ Dragons don't exist. Do they?_

After she had briefly glanced at the girl, Seras eyed the three corpses around her. Their lifeless eyes, black and filled with frightened awe, were a harsh reminder of how hungry Seras was. She took a sniff.

"You're a dragon," the vampire said. Her voice efficiently interrupted Seras's interrogation with her meal.

Seras looked up at the girl who seemed to successfully come out of her silent stupor. She quickly registered this before she went back to perusing the meat. She nudged one towards the vampire's feet. Then, she casually walked around the girl and lowered her great body to curl comfortably around her. A giant clawed, hand-like foot moved to rest gently on another deer corpse as Seras lowered her muzzle to gently nuzzle the animal. She melted. It smelled wonderful.

"You're," the girl repeated to herself. "You're a dragon!" The sound of the voice was much smaller than it was before.

Seras paused and completely turned her head to regard her little companion. She looked half frozen and tired. _A tired vampire,_ Seras snorted. She scrunched her nose and once again nuzzled a corpse towards the unmoving immortal. _Come on_, Seras whined, a noise that her beast easily emulated. _Eat already!_ The low whimper was gruff with disuse. Seras grimaced. _It's been too long since I've taken this form_, she thought, her ears lowering slightly.

"May I… May I touch you?"

Seras looked down her nose at the girl. Her hands were twitching and Seras fought a smile. _That looked familiar_. With a soft grunt, she nodded before moving the corpse towards the girl again.

The girl laughed, "I know, I get it."

Seras tut-tutted before she lifted her head. She leveled it slowly towards the girl's stomach. Hesitantly, the girl lifted a hand, her barrier dissipating with the movement easily casting the forest back into darkness. Seras squinted. Though she knew the both of them could easily see in the moon lit darkness, she knew it was hardly comfortable.

Regarding her charge, who was now trying to climb over the two corpses in front of her, Seras tilted her head and then made to stand. With a flick of a tail, she turned away. Almost immediately, she could hear the girl whimper in disappointment. "Hey wait," she said. "Where are you going?"

Seras ignored her and kept walking to the edge of the forest. She paused in front of one of the trees and then quickly snapped off a few branches carefully with her teeth.

With more grace than it seemed possible due to her size, Seras turned back to the girl, absentmindedly noting that she was now standing stupefied watching her move. She was wringing her hands nervously. If Seras had eyebrows, she would have lifted one. Instead, she just walked back to the center of the mid-size clearing and resettled herself on the ground curled around the girl and their meal.

Seras lowered the branches to the ground at the girl's feet, then watched her watch her with fascinated eyes. Seras laughed to herself, She's _as curious as a pup_. Then she paused. A pup? Was she a pup? Seras tilted her head and pondered the question.

Suddenly, she felt something hard and cold, colder than the surrounding winter; settle itself at the base of her neck. Seras tensed as she tilted her head down awkwardly. The pup, she determined the title was fitting considering the circumstances, had finally wandered over to exercise her petting instinct. _At least she's not biting my tail_. She lowered her head further to allow the girl to feel her horns and the rough scaled skin of her snout. _She is absolutely freezing_.

The girl's straight anxious face slowly broke into a smile as she continued to pet the "mythical" beast before her. "Wow," she said amazed, as she let the tips of her fingers explore one of Seras's large ears. "You really are real."

Seras coughed and glared. She lifted a lip to show her eye teeth before she jerked her head to the side abruptly. _Of course I'm real_, she muttered to herself. Suddenly, she purposely spewed out a small ball of fire from her mouth aimed directly at the pile of wood at the vampire's feet.

The girl, expectedly, tripped out of the way and landed on her ass in the snow. She stared at the happily roaring campfire and then up at the dragon. For some reason, she thought she saw humor spark in those serpent red eyes, but she wasn't so sure. The girl quickly got up minding the sore foot she had twisted earlier. For the third time that night, she brushed off her jeans. She muttered a not quite so sincere statement of appreciation.

Seras inwardly grinned at the irritation she could hear lace the vampire's voice. Shaking her head, she lowered her muzzle down and carefully grabbed the torso of one of the deer. She pointedly lifted it and placed it down closer to the vampire. Then, Seras lifted her tail and none too gently prodded the poor girl to her kill, commanding without words for the girl to eat.

The girl looked down at the deer and fiddled with her hands. Her feet shifted in the snow uneasily, "What do you want me to do with it?"

Seras tilted her head and waited, _Perhaps she is stupid!_

"You want me to eat it, right?"

If Seras had hands, they would have been in the air. She snorted loudly, audibly showing that her patience was wearing thin. _It was what she was hunting, wasn't it?!_

"I don't know." The girl took as big of a step back as Seras's tail allowed her, which honestly wasn't much at all.

Seras, in turn, lifted a lip and bared a fang. What was wrong with it? _I didn't poison it for heaven's sake._ A growl quickly ripped through the silence of the woods.

Quickly, the girl lifted her hands up in a sign of peace praying that the beast would understand. "Really, the offer is very cool and all, but it's… it's just not enough," she stammered.

Seras blinked. _Not enough?_

"Not for the two of us. You're so gigantic."

Seras tapped her tail in irritation. _You've got to be kidding me._ With a quick snap of her teeth, the dragon lowered her head and slit the neck of one of the deer letting the blood ooze out of the deep cut, thick and dark from the cold. The vampire did nothing but just stare. And then after a long moment, she made to kneel. Seras just curled her tail smugly.

For the last time, the girl looked up to the beast, her eyes questioning. Seras just nodded and settled down further into the biting cold of the soft snow around her, content to watch her charge lean forward and sink fangless teeth into the even softer flesh of the great buck before her. After a few minutes, she turned to the second buck near her front feet and began to eat its flesh. Seras rumbled contentedly, satisfied in dining in the campfire light with her new found charge.

* * *

Ten to twenty minutes later, Seras felt the change race through the woods. A rushing subzero chill stirred up the snow, hugged the trees, and made Seras's bones ache from the inside out. She lifted her head and scanned the area absently listening to the girl ramble about her new husband and his family, about them going hunting and her letting her pride in her new abilities and independence override the wise decision to stay with her new beau. "It was a dumb move," Seras silently agreed. "I just wanted to prove to him that I didn't need him constantly babying me by watching my every move. I do know how to take care of myself. It's the fricken 21st century for heaven's sake!" she rambled while robbing her injured ankle.

Eyeing the two corpses that the girl ended up draining, Seras knew that the injury would be nearly healed if not completely and the pain gone. Though she wasn't sure what had caused the injury in the first place, it was at least one less thing to worry about. The incoming storm, however, that was another story in and of itself. _She's still lost_, Seras reminded herself shifting her weight. She grimaced at the stiffness in her joints. Though she was youkai and was essentially unaffected by most extreme weather, she was still cold blooded and a reptile. Prolonged exposure tended to make her slow and slowly but surely doused her fire, a major source of her health and strength. Seras narrowed her eyes. Her time was waning. She knew that she had to find warm shelter quick, but then she looked down at her young charge.

The girl was looking up at her with a worried expression. It marred the unearthly beauty of her face. She had noticed Seras rise and her narrative tapered off as she watched her. "Something is wrong."

_I can't leave her_, Seras thought after a moment. _After everything, such an action would be… dishonorable._ She gritted her teeth at the overtly familiar phrase. It left a bad taste in her mouth and made her think of long summer days, silver hair, and the crescent moon. For a moment, she had the strong desire to rub a certain spot on her forehead, but refrained upon remembering her current form. Doing so was nearly impossible. She quickly shook her head letting the memories smudge, before they reminded her of others. Those always made her cringe and she didn't have time to be distracted.

After a moment, she lowered her head and closed her eyes. She focused her inner energies and let them wander over the country side. It spread out over the land mile after mile searching until finally it settled on something that brought a small smile to spread across her scaly face. Seras could feel the presence of other vampires very similar to that of the young girl beside her. They were close, maybe an hour's walk, maybe a little more.

She looked up to the sky now covered in clouds. Though her fire easily illuminated the woods brilliantly, it didn't escape Seras's notice over how dark the woods had become since the moon was hidden. She tilted her head. After a moment, she felt a cold hand rest on the side of her forefoot. She cringed. The girl softly called out to Seras and Seras looked down at her, her crimson eyes reflecting eerily off of the fire. "Are you okay?"

Seras didn't answer her. Instead, she stood, lifted her tail and took a step around the fire. Bending her neck, she stooped to gather the end of a burning branch in her mouth and lifted it up from the small campfire. Then she turned and presented it to the girl.

The girl looked at the make-shift torch and then up at the dragon. "For me," she asked.

Not waiting for an answer, the vampire reached forward and gingerly seized the thick stick between her two delicate hands, careful to not burn herself. The girl smiled. Though the heat of the flame was a tad uncomfortable, the girl was grateful for the light it gave.

Watching the fire's flame flicker in the wind, the vampire was completely taken back upon feeling herself lifted suddenly by the collar of her jacket into the air. Alarmed, she whimpered loudly until she found herself plucked on the scaly spine of one glowering black dragon. The girl looked up at the beast and glared. "You could have given me a warning."

Seras looked at the girl pout and promptly snorted in her face, simultaneously stirring up the snow around them. She flailed her tail and successfully drenched the campfire in snow.

"Where are we going?" the girl asked exasperated after she had settled into a comfortable spot resting between Seras's shoulder blades.

_I'm taking you to your family, pup,_ Seras answered her in her mind. Though she knew the girl couldn't understand her, Seras did find some strange comfort in answering her anyway. _Too bad her barrier still protected her mind_, Seras thought. One sided conversations weren't as exciting as two.

With that thought, Seras took a step heading north where she knew the girl's family was coming from.

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The walk was silent, especially once the snow began to fall and the wind had began to pick up. In a matter of moments, Seras was amazed to find herself in the midst of a white out. And though they were deep in the midst of the forested wilderness, the trees did nothing to block the snow and harsh wind.

Seras stopped walking for a moment and looked back at her charge. She was plastered to her back, covered underneath the thick hide of Seras's wings. The only thing they didn't really cover too well was her head, for the strands of her hair occasionally whipped back and forth in the wind.

Seras took a breath. She lowered her head against the oncoming snow and took a step forward. She was happy that her warmth would help her charge, but she could also feel it beginning to cool. Seras shivered. That was never a good sign.

* * *

Three thirds of the way there, Seras could feel a change in the formation of the group she was tailing ahead of her.

The first noticeable change was that the numbers had dropped. It seemed the group had split, probably to find some kind of shelter from the storm. The emotions wafting out from each form were frantic with worry, others more than the rest, one practically nonexistent. Apparently, not everyone was enamored with the girl resting silently on her back, Seras concluded.

It was during this thought that she felt the second change take place. Seras immediately tensed, her eyes hardened, and she lifted her lips revealing fangs wet and ready. She lifted her head and glared out towards the small group as she felt one of them prod, not too gently, at her mental walls. Her eyes narrowed and her nose scrunched. The girl never mentioned that one of the group was a mind reader. That significantly complicated things. She didn't need to have that kind of invasion. Immediately, she slammed up and tightened her mental walls, then frowned realizing instantly that the attempt was a mistake.

She could feel the shift in the aura of one of the group's members. The vague worry had changed quickly to focused determination, relief and anger. Seras swallowed and took a step back. He must have registered that she had some kind of power to be able to knock him off his trail and he clearly didn't like it. She cursed. As a result, the group was now making a b-line straight to their current position, and they were coming fast. Seras's mind raced. She had only 10 maybe 20 minutes tops before they arrived. She didn't want to be anywhere in the near vicinity when that happened.

Making a decision, Seras looked back to the girl and quickly, but gently lifted her wings off of her. The girl who had just been bracing herself against the dragoness's back, lifted her head upon feeling the change in her surroundings. There must have been some hint of alarm shining through Seras's hardened reptilian face for the girl's expression immediately changed from slumbering curiosity to alert worry.

"Is something wrong?" She yelled into the wind amazed at the amount of volume that was needed to just communicate.

Though Seras heard her, she ignored her. Quickly she stretched her neck and picked up the girl by the back of the collar. The girl just whimpered a little too loudly for the situation at hand, and then promptly dropped the stick torch, which had gone out a while back. Soon the girl followed the stick, falling clumsily a foot or two into the soft snow that now reached well beyond her knees.

"Ow!" she cried. With quick abrupt movements, the girl struggled to get her feet under her so she could stand. "Why did you do that?"

Seras tilted her head. _Your friends are coming_, she answered softly with a nod in the direction of their arrival. Immediately, the girl turned her head in the direction the dragon had indicated.

"Is my family this way?" she asked.

Seras gave a grunt before turning decidedly around to walk back the way she came.

"Listen," the girl continued anyway. "Perhaps, we should just find some shelter or something." She tucked the hair out of her face."We need to get out of this storm. My family will be fine and they are probably doing the same thing anyway. Plus, I don't think you are meant to stay in the cold weather for too long, right? I felt you getting cold. We could just go back." The girl turned back to look at her companion. Then she stopped speaking once she realized there was no sign of the dragon. It had completely vanished, foot prints and all.

The girl swallowed and mentally tried not to panic over the realization that she was left alone even further into the woods. As much as she wanted to believe that the beast was right, she couldn't. She couldn't hear them or smell them. She was lost for heaven's sake.

The vampire put a hand to her head as she questioned over the events of the last hour or so. There was a dragon right? Wasn't there?

A sudden noise broke the girl out of her thoughts long before they could shift to ponder the task of what she would do next. The voice was familiar and it was soft on the wind, indicating that it was still some distance away yet, close enough for the girl to hear it clearly. The girl breathed out an unnecessary sigh of relief. _The dragon had been real_, she thought, turning to look back at the direction the dragon had last been headed. She furrowed her eyebrows, then turned reluctantly back to the voice that kept calling her name.

With a heavy heart, she began a careful jog towards the voice of her husband and his family. She tried desperately to not think about how cold the once burning back of the dragon had gotten before she was promptly abandoned.


	3. Chapter Three: Into the Darkness

**Chapter Three: Into the Darkness, a Discovery**

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**Author's Note: Sorry, I'm late. Here are just a few timeline references for those of you who are wondering. This story takes place after the ending of Samurai Deeper and Inuyasha. The Hellsing timeline is in the beginning and Twilight is at the end of the first part of the fourth book. All of these will deviate into AU world, so don't get comfortable. There is no human vampire hybrid child, sorry. Edward changed her after the wedding, but more on that in the story. Again, I ask for indulgence with this story and I hope you enjoy the telling. Thank you for reading! - Kay**

**Disclaimer: Though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

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The way back was extremely cold. The wind had picked up, the temperature dropped and the blinding storm made the trek slow and tedious. Seras gritted her teeth and took another step into the wind feeling its icy fingers toss her mane about and push her wings flat to her back. She whimpered. _This was ridiculous._

What should have been an easy 45-50 minute walk quickly turned into an hour and a half of blind wandering. Though she remembered the path she had traveled earlier and could easily feel the life of the vegetation around her, that didn't make navigating the woods any easier. She still couldn't see anything; not the twisting curves of the path, nor the steep slope of the landscape. Though on a normal evening she could easily have heard the bubbling of the river she was unknowingly skirting, Seras neither saw it, nor heard it. She just felt the solidity of the frozen earth under her feet crumble and the jarring feeling of weightlessness surround her when it gave way unexpectedly.

Seras flapped her wings and jumped trying to find stable footing in the downhill slide she was falling. Her attempts were in vain, however. Her legs collapsed under her unsteady weight and her body twisted painfully. Before her eyes, she watched as the snow stirred and flew around her as did many of the trees. The wind made flying impossible, thus leaving her to gravity's mercy. It quickly grabbed hold and with the wind, assisted in running her through many of the trees, over a cliff and into the large iced over river that was deep enough to fully submerge her still massive form, but not frozen enough for the ice to not break upon impact.

Soon, Seras found herself plunged under the water battling a fast current, disorientation and severe frozen temperatures. The water was so cold it was painful and Seras could quickly feel her joints lock and her blood thicken as she fought to break the surface of the water. Looking up, she couldn't see anything indicating where the surface was. The night was too dark and the water too murky. The current was moving too fast. Taking a guess, Seras began to swim. Tightening her wings to her body, she forced her four aching legs to pump the stinging water. She gritted her teeth against the pain. It hurt to move.

In a moment, Seras felt her claws scrape against sand and rock. Her heart plunged to a depth far deeper than the ocean at the revelation. Seras blinked into the darkness, and blew out some air through her nostrils. Though she had an impressive lung capacity, the fall did not necessarily give her time or warning enough for her to take a proper breath for diving. As such, she fought against the natural desire to take a breath. Seras groaned as she felt her lungs begin to burn in her chest, a feeling that was much different from that she was normally used to experience in her gut.

Seras gathered her feet under herself and pushed off of the river bottom. She tried not to think about how that other flame had long since disappeared. In a minute or two, which seemed to take significantly longer, Seras broke successfully through the surface of the river. Though she was tired, she took the time to look around. The storm seemed to be in a low for though it still was snowing pretty hard, the forest was slightly visible. It was visible enough that she could see the edge of the river and, to her immense relief, a cave that was nestled into the side of the small alcove she had drifted into.

Seras sneezed and quickly swam to the river's edge. Pausing before entering the wooden area, she noted that she didn't recognize any of her surroundings.

Seras sighed and looked back to the cave. Automatically, she lowered her head to the snow, her muzzle nearly touching the accursed stuff, as she lifted a tired drenched clawed foot to her left ear. Silently, she counted the rings that hung there solid, cold, and unmoving. One. Two. Three. Four. She sighed unsurprised and then moved to caress the soft skin and cartilage of the other ear. Feeling nothing, Seras closed her eyes in sheer frustration. It was naked. The seal was gone.

Seras lifted her head and looked out over the river and the cliff above trying to find some glint in the storm, a spark that would reveal the seal's location. _It could be anywhere, _She looked down into the waters of the massive river and growled over the possibility of having lost it down there. Feeling the stiffness of her joints, Seras admitted to herself that she didn't have the wherewithal to find it. Not in the storm. Not when the world seemed to blur before her eyes, and certainly not, again she eyed the murky waters, definitely not in there. She turned regretfully and walked toward the cave. Hopefully, she would be able to find it in the morning.

Entering the cave, Seras took quick stock of the large room. It was big enough for her to curl up and sleep in, but not tall enough for her to stand up fully, not in her present form. In spite of this, Seras accepted the shelter gladly. It was out of the wind and the snow.

In the darkness, Seras laid down and curled into a tight scaly ball, then she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Cautiously, she lifted her head to inspect the objects more closely. Finding that they were only neatly cut campfire wood, and a chest of some kind, Seras paused and thought over the decision to stay in the cave, especially with her seal, the one that held her concealing spell, missing. Someone had been in the cave and they were planning on returning. Perhaps, they would come and stumble across her. Perhaps, they would see her.

Immediately, Seras narrowed her eyes and she let out her aura to feel for other creatures around her. For a moment she felt the familiar sensation of stretching that preceded the practiced action, then she felt it dissipate. Alarmed, Seras's eyes widened. She tried again, and then again. This time nothing happened. _Am I so weak,_ she thought.

Seras's mind raced first to her flame and then to her form. She lifted her head and used her mouth to grab a few of the perfectly cut pieces of wood, careful to not disturb the chest. She picked them up and drew them closer to the center of the cave. She raised her head, swallowed, and tried to force her flame to rise. She just coughed and sputtered. All that came out was smoke, and a light smoke at that, with a few sparks. Seras flattened her ears along the curve of her horns and her tail twitched nervously. This wasn't good.

Her thoughts turned to the topic of her human form.

She had entered the forest for two reasons, to hunt and to just enjoy a small amount of time in her true form. She knew the temperature was dangerous, but she hadn't expected to be dragged out here for so long. Seras hung her head. She wondered if helping the girl was a mistake.

Ultimately, she didn't regret staying in her true form while she was conversing with the vampire. That was done on purpose. In this modern time, Seras knew the universal skepticism of the western world brought with it a few advantages for immortals like herself. It was one thing for a girl to see a dragon, a mythical creature that even a vampire would be hard pressed into believing that existed, but a human face? That was believable, and it was also, more importantly, recognizable, even an alias could be traced.

It was true, the girl had her scent and she knew that the girl was aware that she was in the area. _Hopefully, she didn't get too curious_, Seras thought. She hoped that none of her family did either. Seras wasn't stupid enough to actually believe that the girl would keep her mouth shut. Still, she wished. She hoped that nothing came from the encounter. She didn't want to kill them in order for her to keep her freedom. But she would. Without a thought, she would. And attachments? Seras thought of how easy the two had related with each other. Her heart lurched, but still she stubbornly shook her head. Attachments were always a liability, something Seras didn't want to chance.

With a heavy heart, Seras lowered her head to her feet as she looked out into the storm. At least it was warmer to stay in this form. _But my other forms, my smaller one, even my human one would be easier to hide. And my human form was more, well…_ she paused. _Human, though her markings and clothing might be hard to explain. _

Even as Seras weighed the pros and cons, she still knew that changing was a fatal mistake for one reason alone. It took too much power. With her stores so depleted, Seras knew that changing could completely wipe them out and pull her into a hibernation state until they had healed. She did not want that to happen. It invited too much risk and allowed her no control over the situation. She had experienced it enough times to know the vulnerability and the helplessness that came with the state. She would never willingly put herself so close to such danger.

Besides, she concluded. She knew the best plan was to save that last reserve of power encase she was found. There were more than just vampires living in the woods and most of them did not care if it was storming. Settling with her decision, Seras closed her eyes as her mind drifted with the storm. She would stay and wait it out. Come morning she would go and find her seal then escape to a shelter than would warm her. That is what she would do.

* * *

The sound of voices was what ultimately snapped Seras awake.

She blinked into the darkness as her eyes tried to adjust to the pitch black darkness of the night and the cave's shadows. She wasn't fully successful.

"No, Edward! Will you stop walking, I'm trying to talk to you." Dread began to sink into Seras's stomach. She knew that voice.

"You are just going to have to forgive Edward right now, Bella." A soft, gentle male voice answered the girl when none other came forward. Seras checked her mental walls and stilled her breathing. Was he the telepath?

"Yeah, I mean. Come on, Bella. You've been harking on the same tune for nearly three hours already, non-stop." Another male chipped in. His voice sounded arrogant and immature, a young man in his prime and loving it. "We've been out here-"

"It's been two hours," a voice with a noticeable southern accent broke through the other male's rant.

Seras could easily imagine the boy's answering look, a strange mixture of both happy-go-lucky humor and slight annoyance. "Exactly! For two hours, you've been harping and we've been out here like three times longer than that."

"More like one and a half times, but we don't mind, Bella. Really," a different female voice chimed in. She sounded almost too happy, Seras concluded.

The guy grunted. "Yeah. We've been out here two times that looking for your stubborn ass," the guy continued slightly frustrated.

The guy from before, the one with the gentle voice, interrupted him with a slight sigh. "Language, Emmett."

Emmett grunted an apology and hurried to say that the girl's husband and his family were just plain tired and sick of "running the storm. Though, it was sort of thrilling and all.

"Besides," he continued. "There are no such things as dragons. We're vampires and we've been around, you know? Carlisle has been around. We would know if there were, or not."

"Emmett is right," a tight, rather upset voice pitched in finally. Seras's eyes narrowed, that had to be the mind reader. His attitude just fit the hot headed impression the two second encounter had given her. She wished she could test his aura without fear of alerting him.

"Edward," Bella protested.

"No, Bella," he said a little too harshly.

Bella took a breath. Seras, hearing the unneeded inhale, wondered if she did it out of habit from involuntarily breathing for so long, or because she was just that upset. "Carlisle," she breathed out hopefully. "It was real. I saw it. I TOUCHED it." She said the words slowly as if she was talking to a four year old who didn't know that square watermelons actually existed. "Isn't it possible that there could be other supernatural beings like us who hide their identities like we do to the humans, even from us. Look at the La Push pack."

_Pack?_ Seras tried to lift an ear upon hearing that. "A wolf pack? What kind of wolf pack?" She frowned internally when she couldn't feel them move; when she couldn't feel them at all.

The vampire called Carlisle hummed softly at the young newborn. "You could be right, Bella. None of us actually know everything there is to know about other beings like us. Look at us really. We aren't supposed to exist, but we do. Neither are the wolves as you mention, but they do.

"But Bella," the male continued, "You have in the past four years have had non-stop dealings with the supernatural world. While it shouldn't surprise us with your current track record that you would stumble across another creature of our world, you should be more patient with others who have not had such fantastical revelations. If dragons do exist." He paused as if to forestall another bout of protests. " Not saying that they do not. But 'if' they do. They must be few and highly secretive. You should respect that secrecy as you did ours when you were human. You should also enjoy the moment or moments you shared with such a creature, for they must be just as rare and dangerous of a situation as it would be for us to reveal ourselves to a human." He said with a hint of humor.

"Carlisle does have a good point, Bella." The other female said.

Bella's voice remained silent.

Carlisle's voice broke through the silence once more. "If I may ask. Why are you so adamant to get us to believe in your story?"

Bella mumbled unintelligibly before she eventually said, "I am worried. The dragon didn't look good when she vanished, or I mean to say, is she didn't feel right when I rode him, it… um."

"You got to ride it?!" the loud obnoxious voice from before chimed in like a bulldozer.

The girl argued back sarcastically, "I said that, Emmett, and you would know that if you were listening."

"I'm sorry, Bella." The boy laughed. "I tend to tone out crazy."

"EMMETT," the whole group scolded.

"What! Not everyone can do the whole compassionate bullshit… crap… um stuff that you do, Carlisle. Just saying!"

Carlisle audibly groaned and notably hurried back to readdress Bella. "What didn't feel right, Bella?" he asked.

In the silence, Seras could hear the girl hesitate. She was weighing her words and Seras couldn't help but ponder what she had noticed.

"She was cold."

"Dragons are reptiles. They are born cold-blooded." Edwards voice snorted sarcastically. Upset and moody anger still hovered in his cadence.

"Edward," the twangy voice intervened. "Just let her talk."

"Bella, continue." Carlisle insisted.

"She was a fire-breathing dragon so that made her whole body warm like the wolves', just not as intense I guess because of the thick scales and all. But as I rode it and as the storm came, the warmth just disappeared. It was ice cold by the time she dropped me into the snow."

"She?" Edward asked.

"It, he, she. I don't know." Bella's voice grew more serious. "She was also slowing down too, and I don't think it was just because the storm. I know reptiles don't do well in cold climates. I thought that if I could convince you to believe my story we could go and find her and help her. Carlisle, you're a doctor."

"For humans, Bella," Carlisle reminded her gently. "And you also said that she vanished with no trail to follow, including her scent. In spite of everything, she may not want to be found."

"I know, but…." Bella's voice trailed off as did the sound of the footsteps that seemed to come closer to the front of the cave. "Where are we?" She asked after a moment.

"Another Cullen shelter," Edward answered with a hint of humor. It was very, very small. "We travel up here often and we are used to sudden storms like this."

"Esme and I found this cave ages ago," Carlisle took over. "It's a decent size and will provide good shelter for us until the storm passes over."

"Oh," Bella answered. "Where is Esme and Rosalie?"

"I sent them back to the house when I realized the storm was coming. I didn't want everyone lost out here."

"Plus," Edward added sharply. "Rosalie was throwing a fit over having to find you. It was the only way to get her to shut up."

"Hey!" Emmet cut in. Seras tensed as she heard his footsteps walk towards the front entrance to the cave. She couldn't move. She tried to bare her fangs. A lip lifted grudgingly. "Stop dising my mate, man. It's so not cool!"

Carlisle tisked the both of them and then continued to speak as if the outburst had never happened. Meanwhile, Seras squinted as she thought she detected a flashlight beam cut across the entrance.

"Anyway Bella, we have since somewhat supplied the cave with certain items –"

"Um, Carlisle." Emmett's voice interrupted uncertainly.

"What," Carlisle answered, his voice sounding somewhat exasperated.

"About the dragon."

"What about it, Emmett." The twangy voice replied just as annoyed.

Emmett looked down into the large red eyes of Seras and let his flashlight casually trace around the outline of her spine, down her tail, then back to her razor sharp teeth that were dirty with what smelled like deer blood.

"They exist."


	4. Chapter Four: Into the Silence

**Chapter 4: Into the Silence**

* * *

******Disclaimer: Though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

* * *

The cave was quiet and its silence hovered heavily in the darkness that surrounded the two inside it, a dragon and a young man. Seras laid still as the light of the boy's flashlight seemed to peel off the thick heavy layers of darkness that covered her. The light's weight was tangible, its beam blinding. Seras blinked. Her eyes closed slowly in time with her heartbeat, the only sound that pierced the quiet air around the two of them. She swallowed and he took a step forward.

In the limited light, Seras allowed herself to gaze at the boy's form half illuminated, half cast in shadow. He was bulky and tall. His eyes and short cut hair appeared dark in color. Although he wore a t-shirt, jeans, and a short jacket, Seras quickly recognized how the outside appearance seemed to clash violently with the voice she had heard only moments before; the threat of the body, the arrogant clown of the heart. Then, she thought of his name. Emmett. Did the name suit him? She pondered this silently.

When the boy moved his flashlight beam to aim it straight into her eyes, Seras tensed. She tried to flex her claws and twitch her tail. They were natural reactions, which made the reminder that she couldn't move anything all the more alarming. Quickly, her mind raced trying to come up with an escape route, but the minutes, no seconds, she had to think was not enough. Her ki didn't rise. Her fangs didn't coat in poison. Her flame did not spark before that all too familiar voice broke through the stillness of the moment.

The girl, the one she helped, sighed loud enough for the whole forest to hear. "Emmett, I know you don't believe my story," she all but huffed. "You made that point perfectly clear nearly every minute of those 'three whole hours' that you, quote, 'suffered under [my] crazy talk', end quote."

Emmet answered with a gruff grunt. The action caused the flashlight in his hands to quiver. "Come on, we've been over this. It was two hours and I'm not joking this time. It looks like it's going to eat me. Really! Honest to God!" The boy cracked a sly smile before saying under his breath, "I hope it tries to. I always wanted to slay a dragon."

_This guy isn't a clown_, Seras thought annoyed. _He was a complete idiot._

She pulled in her thoughts as the voice of the girl (Bella?) once again broke the silence. "Emmett," she huffed. "This isn't funny." The flashlight she was carrying flickered as she stomped towards the entrance. It bounced to and fro to the rhythm of her steps outlining the entrance's threshold, the ground outside, the ceiling, the opposite wall, Seras's tail, her back, and then finally her face. The girl's voice trailed off abruptly. "Oh my god," she whispered.

"Bella, what is it," the other female asked. In the slightly lit cave, Seras could make out a very dim silhouette of a taller girl as she entered the cave to stand next to Bella. She gasped and put what looked to be a small hand in front of her mouth. "That's her isn't it." The other girl's voice also descended to a whisper.

Before Bella could answer, two bigger forms completely covered them both nearly dousing the light in Bella's hand. "Does it look like it's attacking?"

"We should kill it where it stands."

"Edward!" Bella's voice was now frantic with panic. "No! Don't! It's not dangerous! It helped me!" The way her voice continued to get louder and louder and was accompanied by the sound of feet shuffling randomly, Seras could tell she was being physically pushed away from the entrance.

"It's a beast," the boy yelled.

"No!"

"It could hurt you!"

"Stop it," Bella yelled back. "Let – let me go! It's not going to-"

"Guys?" The tone of Emmett's voice broke up the argument. It was still, less excited than before. Silence filled the cave in answer. "It's not moving. I mean, her eyes are and her lips. And… she's ticked off as hell, but the rest of her isn't. Are they supposed to do that? Carlisle?"

Seras's eyes scanned the darkness as fast as they would allow her looking for any sign of the other vampire. Suddenly the sound of a match lighting up crackled in the cave. Then almost as quickly, the warm orange glow of a fire resting on a log began to grow in the darkness. It started small in the center of the cave's floor, and then it grew. The shadowed figure that stood before the flame threw more logs on it adding yellows and whites to the colors illuminated in the darkness. It made the cave smell of old pine and smoke. Soon, Seras could see the welcome sight of small white streams rise steadily towards the low ceiling. Though that alone was welcoming enough, the thing that she felt her comfort rise from the most was the warmth the little flame gave off. It, like the fire, was small, not enough for her to revive her strength, but still, like a drop of water to a man dying of thirst, Seras relished in what little warmth she could gain.

Opening her eyes, for she had closed them in relief, she quickly eyed the group. She looked to the left. Bella, the girl she had helped, was crowded into a corner by a boy that looked to be relatively her age in appearance. He was lean . His hair was short-medium length and it was wet from the snow. It was bronze in color. His eyes were a golden, topaz color, not quite yellow, but not quite brown either. Currently, those were narrowed and glared pointedly in Seras's direction. Seras unfazed let her gaze drift to the right.

Near the entrance stood another pair standing similarly to the previous couple, yet differently. The guy's stance was alert and cautious, not hostile as the other boy's was. The girl was curious and careful, not nervous and desperate as Bella was. Seras quickly noted her short, spiky black hair, pale pixie features, and golden eyes. Then she took in the appearance of her lover. He had not quite shoulder length brown hair and steady golden eyes, not unlike those that stared at her from behind him. These were simple things that she noticed, background details. What quickly drew her attention was his body. Though it was lean and muscled, it was absolutely drenched in scars; marks that were prominent to her predator eyes. He had seen battle.

Reluctantly, she turned away to check on Emmett's current position next to her to make sure he didn't do anything suspicious, which he wasn't (_Thank God!)_. Seras, then, finally allowed herself to gaze over at the last vampire who was currently attending to the fire. His speed was faster than any human could follow, yet his hands were steady. His golden eyes, the same color as the rest, were serious. He was of medium toned build. His hair a golden blonde that shimmered in the fire light, like his skin. He looked… Seras stopped. She swallowed.

"Alice," he said eventually after a moment. "Come help with this."

The girl, the other female, snapped from her obvious staring and quickly moved to do the man's bidding. As she drew near, he stood from his crouched stance before the flame and turned to regard the dragon in front of him. For a second, he turned to Edward behind him and said in a low voice. "Son, I'm going to need you to release your wife for me." He rubbed his hands together.

Edward's gaze grew stubborn and he grimaced at his father. "Why," he bit out.

"Because," the man answered with patience that Seras did not share, "The creature knows the girl and she might be able to keep her calm while I examine her."

Just as Edward made to verbally refuse the request, Bella moved to push her husband away from her. When he made to grab her elbow, she jerked it away from his grasp. "It's not your decision, Edward," she ground out through two rows for perfectly white teeth. "She helped me, I owe her this much at least."

"YOU don't owe her anything."

"Why can't you-"

"Bella, this is unwise. You don't know-"

"LOOK," the girl said turning her back to him. "If you are so worried, why don't you just stand guard and if something happens, which I'm sure it won't, you can just intervene as you always do." She walked up to Seras and placed a cold hand on the side of her snout.

Seras quietly watched her. Her eyes were wide! She, then, turned to look at the boy who was staring at his wife with hard, unreadable eyes. When his lowered to meet Seras's, he grimaced, raising his handsome lips in a snarl. Abruptly, he turned and left. Awkward silence was his wake.

The quiet gave time for Seras to scan the others. They each looked ragged in their own way. The father looked more worried than the others. It was a sure sign that the fighting between the two wasn't a recent development. Seras tried to tilt her head and failed. She whimpered.

"I'm sorry," Bella muttered. Her voice was at odds with the flickering light of the campfire.

Alice, the girl attending it, stood up slowly and walked to stand by her burly brother. "I'm sure he'll come around eventually, Bella."

"Yeah, probably during the next ice age," Emmett muttered. Though all immortals in the room could hear him, none commented.

"Carlisle," Bella asked after a moment.

The man who had been looking at the entrance lowered his head and gazed at his daughter –in-law questioningly.

Bella half-heartedly gestured toward the dragon, who rested silently under her hand. "What now?"

The uncertainty in her voice snapped everyone back to the problem at hand. Carlisle sighed and rolled up the sleeves of his jacket with quick practiced movements. "Jasper," he said, his tone of voice just shy of a command. "I need you to monitor her; what she is feeling, sudden changes, anything."

Jasper nodded. He knew what he was asking.

Alice and Emmett took a step back as Carlisle moved to get closer. Noticing the lack of light, he gestured for Emmett to come closer. "A light please," he asked softly. Emmett obeyed.

Seras, still unable to move due to the cold, watched Carlisle's movement as he got closer. His hand was out stretched and his steps were slow and cautious. She raised her lip slightly higher exposing more fang. Immediately, Bella's hand began to rub circles on the dragon's rough snout. She tried to make soothing sounds. Although Seras understood the sentiment, she didn't like being treated like a mindless animal. It made her feel…

* * *

Jasper furrowed his eyebrows as he scanned the emotions around the room. His family's he could point out easily. Carlisle was calm, determined, curious, and possessed an extremely high level of fascination. Jasper raised an eyebrow and mentally shrugged. Bella's was concern with a depressed sort of hope and confidence. She was worried. Alice, who was standing off to the side like he was, was focused and also worried. She was, in a word, apprehensive. Emmett was curious, excited and greedy. Jasper rolled his eyes at the desire beginning to grow in his brother's heart. He really did not want to know. Jasper nodded in a self-assuring kind of way. They were easy to read, because he was used to them.

As for the dragon's emotions, however, they were more complicated than he expected. Since his arrival into the cave, and if he truly admitted it to himself, a little bit before that, he had felt multiple mixtures of emotions from the animal. Fear, curiosity, shock, concern, anxiousness, wonder, relief, the list went on. It was almost too long… well too long for any dumb animal anyway. Unlike Emmett and Edward, Jasper had taken the time to at least listen to his sister-in-law's claims on the beast. Although she hadn't flat out said it due to the number of arguments that interrupted each of her attempts to tell her story, she had let out enough information that he could tell that the girl had found some intelligence in it. It could communicate and understand human speech to some extent. As a result, Jasper found himself seriously wondering whether if she was some kind of shape shifter, or not. He took a subtle sniff. She didn't smell bad, maybe a little smoky, but she certainly didn't smell like the wolves. Maybe he was wrong.

Jasper let himself focus on the beast's current emotions. His eyes took in the narrowed, yellow irises surrounded by the red sclera of the dragon's own. At the moment, she was a mixture of anxiousness and anger. He shifted his weight. There was something more. Was she offended?

* * *

A growl suddenly ripped through the air. It was soft and barely audible, even for the vampires. Carlisle paused in his advance. He looked over the dragon then to Bella and then to Emmett. "Emmett," he asked after a quick thought. "Do you have your phone on you?"

At what seemed to be an out of place question, the young man nodded dumbly.

"I need you to look up hypothermia in lizards for me. Can you do that," Carlisle asked.

Emmett nodded and started to dig one hand into his jeans. Automatically, Alice came over and quickly took his place holding the small flashlight. Carlisle muttered a quick thank you before he took another slow step forward. Seras's growl grew louder.

Alice's pixie like face scrunched as she watched her mentor take another step into Seras's strike zone. Although she saw and accepted to some extent Bella's ability to get so close to the animal, her doubt still lingered over Carlisle's ability to perform the same action. The dragon was cornered and possibly injured. She must be feeling incredibly…

* * *

_… Frightened? Was that what the dragon was feeling?_ Jasper focused on the emotion. He wanted to accurately identify it before he reacted. If he knew and told Carlisle correctly, then maybe he would be able to react to her better. Jasper licked his lips. He could taste the answer. It was right in front of him.

* * *

Emmett had long since found the website on reptilian hypothermia. He had three of them. Actually, it was more three and a half. He tilted his phone and watched the screen rotate into landscape. With his thumb, he scrolled over the webpage eyeing the picture of a dragon. It was a large hand drawn portrait, one of several on the site. The dragon had red scales all over its body and it was walking calmly spewing flames as a human ran in front of it.

He looked up quickly and eyed his father figure, the brave man took another step, then he went back to surfing the web. He pressed the back button and found the link on black dragons. He quickly scanned the description. _Abusive_, he read. _Evil tempered, forward curved horns, _he looked up at the dragon. Her horns weren't curved and as he eyed Bella's hand on its face, he thought about her tale. Though he had teased the stuffing out of the little spit fire, he had listened to it. The dragon had fed her and found her companions. It was definitely not evil-tempered and abusive.

He moved to gaze at the picture of the artist's idea of a black dragon. He scrunched his nose, the real thing didn't look anything like it. Quickly, he navigated back to the picture of the red dragon. The thing in front of him looked more like that than the other one and it breathed fire to boot.

Emmett huffed silently. Apparently, the guy who wrote the website didn't know anything. With a quick swipe of his thumb, Emmett brought up the phone's camera feature. He let a sly smile slide effortlessly across his faced as he raised the mock camera, which was now set to video. He would just have to get proof that the guy was wrong. True, he may never post the actual video, but that still didn't mean he couldn't take it for his own records. The smile quickly turned into a full-fledged grin.

Emmett pressed record and let the camera pan the length of Seras's body. _Man_, he thought. _Look at all those…_

* * *

_…Scars_. Jasper had given a sneer in Emmett's direction as he noticed his brother raise his phone to take a picture. With a side glance, he watched him as he zoomed in on the beast's many scars. At first glance, one could easily see the large ones that rested mainly on the dragon's neck and wings. The wings specifically looked as if someone took a shredder to them. He winced. It was clear the thing had seen many battles. Those scars were obvious. Being a war veteran himself and having a number of his own battle scars, he could identify those easily. The blade cuts were long and clean, the gunshots circular, the bite marks crescent-shaped, but there were others. Burn marks, acid burn marks, cuts that seemed to come from unidentifiable objects, scales that looked like they had been purposely pulled out leaving her skin open to view, which was dark with bruises that never really healed. These scars were everywhere. Most of them were light enough and in places that you couldn't necessarily see right away. He wondered if the thing's thick skin helped to keep them less noticeable. It was lucky.

Jasper sighed. No wonder the thing was so apprehensive. After being attacked so many times, anybody would be distrustful of...

His thoughts slowed, paused, and backed up. _Distrustful_. He focused on the word and re-evaluated the dragon. Yes, that was the mysterious emotion she was feeling. The thing wasn't afraid, just highly distrustful of them. It was uncertain of what they would do. Having found an answer, Jasper felt confidence rise in his chest. Sure of himself, he also let his manipulative gift rise to the surface. _If I could just calm it down a bit_, he reasoned._ Carlisle may be able to help it._ It was a good plan, too bad it back fired.

* * *

Seras had spent the last few seconds watching the oldest vampire edge slowly towards her. Purposely, she let her growl rise steadily in volume in warning. The man didn't frighten her. She was a seasoned soldier, little frightened her anymore, but he did make her nervous. No one was supposed to see her in this form, vampire or not. She did not like being caught in such a vulnerable position in it, either, especially with five strangers surrounding her. Her growl grew even deeper. As she caught his eyes with hers, she focused on Bella's hand rubbing gently over the thick hide of her snout. The girl's touch was cold and calm. For her sake, Seras tried to stay calm. She tried not to react to all those possibilities of what could happen as they raced through her mind. That, however, all but flew out the window once she felt the change in the atmosphere. The third male, the one in the back who had stayed silent since entering the cave, let something expand out towards her. Though she was severely weakened by the cold, she was still able to feel some things, strong auras being one of those.

His aura stretched out and touched everything; the fire, the floor, the ceiling. When it finally reached Seras, her growl deepened. His aura melded against her, playing with her own, slowly changing it. When she started to feel a foreign calmness and a sense of confidence grow in her heart, Seras panicked. He was manipulating her emotions. She didn't like it. She tried to shake her hand, snap her tail, and back away, but her body won't move.

Carlisle took another step.

Then, she tried raising her aura against the manipulator. It quivered, a sign that the fire had started to heal her, but nonetheless it didn't budge. She bared her fangs more.

He took another step.

Seras, if she was human would have been sweating. With wide frightened eyes, she watched the eldest male and in desperation she pushed at her aura to flare it, to give a clear warning, to make the manipulator stop. Then, like a broken dam, it gave way unexpectedly in a way that neither Carlisle nor Seras was prepared for.

Carlisle Cullen, the leader of the Olympic Coven, doctor, father, mentor, had just let the tips of his fingers graze the freezing cold scales of the incredible creature in front of him when he felt the warm abrupt sensation of a force break through the silent barriers of his mind. In less than a second, he felt his thoughts plunge through the sticky emotions of uncertainty and fear before a voice screamed loudly into them three words. "Don't Touch Me!"


	5. Chapter Five: Into Certainty

**Into Certainty, a decision**

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**Disclaimer: Though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

* * *

In all the years that he had known his son, Carlisle had developed many memories of the boy he had saved so long ago. Of these memories, there was one that as the years passed he found himself referring to repeatedly for one reason or another. The conversation had occurred shortly after the boy's initial turning, when he was suffering through the worse part of the transitional period of him getting used to his new life as a telepath. It had been a trying day and the boy had finally found a measure of solace from the constant noises in his head that he could speak plainly. So Carlisle, seeing the opportunity, had finally exercised his curiosity over the gift and asked what it was like.

The boy's answering smile had been warm, though his fatigue clearly showed in the action. It was slow and lazy, but it wasn't careless. It was deliberate. "I had been waiting for you to ask this," he had said eventually. "You do not hide your thoughts well." He laughed. His voice was low and melded in perfectly with the moonlight that wafted through the window he was sitting by.

Carlisle smiled and sat with him on the window seat in his room. "I guess that is something I am going to have to work on myself. Out of everyone, I am the only one right now who knows of your gift-"

"My curse you mean," the boy protested. He let his head fall back to rest against the window sill. His fingers twitched steadily drawing Carlisle's gaze to take in where they rested upon his up-raised knees.

"No," Carlisle said gathering his hands together. "It's only a curse if you allow it to be. Who knows, that gift may lead you to something wonderful one day. It will be your choice then as it is now whether or not you will choose to allow it to make you into something you are not."

"And what am I, Doctor?" The boy had then slowly turned his head and spoke the words cautiously. He did not meet Carlisle's eyes.

Carlisle took a breath and let it out, "Call me Carlisle, please," he said. He crossed his arms. "For the moment, we are stuck together until at least you have adjusted to this life I've brought you into. When that happens, you will be free to do as you wish, but until then, please let us keep this informal. I don't want to be anything else, but your friend."

Edward didn't nod in agreement, but he didn't shake his head either. The boy just lifted his head and finally made eye contact with the person that would later consider him a son. "That still doesn't answer my question," he had said softly.

Carlisle gave him a small smile. "And you still haven't answered mine."

Reluctantly, the boy laughed and smiled back. "My gift," he said sarcastically, "It's like seeing one of those new movie picture shows playing in your mind, multiple films all playing at once back-to-back at full volume with the radio playing on top of it. It never seems to stop." He looked away.

Carlisle nodded. "It sounds very overwhelming. What do you hear right now?"

The boy looked out the window and down into the street. The cobbled road was tinted blue and black from the night's limited light making the colors deeper and more vibrant. The atmosphere was calm, but empty, still like the night. "Nothing except for your thoughts," he admitted after a moment.

"And what am I thinking right now?" Carlisle asked with a smile.

The boy smiled back, "My name, Doctor Cullen."

Many times after that incident, Carlisle often wondered what it would be like to exchange places to experience for himself what his son experienced everyday. Even during his short time with the Volturi, he had watched Aro practice his own abilities on his victims with some fascination. So, it wasn't a complete surprise that when the dragon had broke through his mental walls and spoke, Carlisle's initial shock was also accompanied with a strong sense of awe.

Instinctually, he removed his hand from the top of the creature's head. Then, he subtly looked around at his family members present with him. Though all of them were looking at him with various degrees of worry, which Jasper's was the most blatant; none seemed to be reacting as if they had heard anything. He took a step back. He had to rethink this.

* * *

Edward's thoughts were vacant, empty of words, ideas, pictures, music, and sensations… well, maybe that was not quite true. He heard the soft squelch of the snow beneath his feet as he walked briskly through the forest. He heard the wind. He felt the storm's snowflakes pelt his jacket, his jeans, and his face. He saw the river and the cliff as well as the small alcove that rested below them. These things his mind registered involuntarily as they were designed to, but it was not what he was really focused on. Edward didn't as much think about what he was thinking as he felt them. His emotions were in such turmoil that all he could do was feel them. There was no room for any other thought.

Edward turned left and started to walk away from the cave back up the way his group had originally came. It was a small, unused path that led out of the small alcove and back up into the mountains. He didn't know where he was going. He was just walking. He sighed. Movement just made him think better, made the long drawn out task of organizing his emotions bearable so he would be able to get them back under control. He wouldn't go far, he vowed. He couldn't, not when that… thing… was so close to his mate… not when his mate was so close to that thing. Without thinking, he gritted his teeth absently feeling the serrated edges rub against one another. He let that last thought re-play in his mind, _when his mate_…

Here, Edward stopped walking and lowered his head into his hands. Was that jealousy he was feeling? The dragon had saved her, while he was… absent. Bella got in trouble, again. She had to be rescued, again. And this all happened while he was away… AGAIN.

But he had let her go. _It was __**HER**__ choice, her stupid, stubborn, selfish, immature choice to go hunting alone in an area that she was unfamiliar with. Did she not know the dangers?_ Edward felt his eyebrows lower over his eyes from beneath his fingertips. The short hairs tickled his palms, but he didn't feel them. He paused for a moment before he let his hands travel upwards to scrape rigidly through his tossed hair. The wet strands crinkled underneath his fingertips, the ice a sure sign of how cold it was.

Edward dropped his hands and moved to sit down against a tree. His thoughts were everywhere, scattered between the two beings, the girl and the dragon.

His thoughts on Bella were easy to figure out. He was worried. Over the course of the time since he had met her, he had developed an unnaturally strong instinct to protect her. This instinct, he learned quickly, clashed heavily against the girl's new found desire for independence. He couldn't blame her. It was only natural for a newly turned vampire to feel invincible. They nearly were. And it was natural for her to want to exercise and explore her new found abilities. Still, this rubbed violently against his natural instinct to shield her and to keep her from harm. When this happened, he had little control over his uncertainty and anger. He didn't know what to do. He had no idea how to fix it.

With the dragon, he was also uncertain. Taking a moment to reclassify his emotions, he figured he could narrow them down to two specific ones; curiosity and suspicion. These all stemmed from one reason; the thing had purposely and successfully blocked his mind reading ability. Though it felt taboo thinking it, the action bothered him.

Only one other person was able to do that as effectively, and she, his wife, didn't choose to. She didn't abruptly slam that metaphorical door in his face, but the dragon had. Edward wasn't insensitive. He recognized and respected the notion that every individual had the right to his own private thoughts, though there was little that kept him from them. However, the dragon's action at the time seemed more aggressive, and defensive than what he was use to. It was leagues away from the panicked avoidance he normally experienced among others who have learned of his gift. It was not unlike the actions of some drunk driver trying to vainly cover-up his large incriminating stash of beer bottles from the cop that was standing next to his window. It was a fact. The thing was hiding something and whatever it was, it was suspicious. Therefore, Edward didn't trust it, but what peeved him the most was the fact that what was greater than his reservations against the creature was his curiosity on the matter. What exactly was it hiding and why?

Noticing that his anger had now simmered down, Edward made to stand to go back to the cave. From what he could pickup from the thoughts of his family, the thing was sick and immovable. They may need his help, though he loathed the thought.

It was when he finally placed his naked palm to the back of the tree that he finally noticed that there was something different about it. The trunk felt off, like solid stone, rigid and cold, and not like the rough, flaky texture he was expecting. Curious, he pulled his hand away and took a closer look. He squinted into the storm and let his hand re-rest on the bark. It was freezing, he noticed, and slippery. Amazed, he took a step back and walked around the trunk to touch it there. It was normal; wet, cold, rough bark. He walked back to the front and finally let his thoughts believe what he was seeing. The thing was covered head to toe with thick unnatural ice… well, just the side that was closest to the river.

Hazarding a guess, Edward examined a few of the other trees and finding them also frozen looked towards the partially frozen river. He walked to it into the storm so he could get a closer look. The current was fast and the ice on top was broken. There were so many sections that it covered the whole of it. They shivered with the current allowing him to get small, slight glances of the dark choppy water underneath. He let out a breath. Again, he looked back to the trees at how high the ice went up them and at the snow under his feet that also had a nice, fairly thick layer of ice over it. He turned and looked at the water. He crossed his arms. _Did the thing fall in? No wonder its sick_, he thought.

Curious, he looked up at the cliff. It was remarkably high and he couldn't see much of the sloped landscape above it. He looked to the right towards the entrance of the cave. Jasper was thinking about scars, and Alice was calm. Everything seemed okay. Again, he eyed the cliff. Could he jump it? He took a breath and turned fully towards the cliff. He wouldn't be long.

Decided, Edward turned about face and walked a ways away from the river's bank. He was pleased that except for a tree or two, he had a near straight shot to gain momentum. Turning back around, he tried to squint through the snow. The storm had picked up and it made it hard to see the river and the cliff. Still, Edward braced himself. After a moment, he dashed forward at full speed. He went straight, vied left around two trees, right around another, and then jumped.

Cold bit his skin and the snowflakes felt like hail against his face, but they didn't matter because he was prepared for that. What he wasn't prepared for was the thick ice covering the cliff wall that he had indivertibly jumped into. Almost immediately, his hands, which had grabbed a hold of a section instinctually, began to slip as well as his feet. He cursed and tightened his grip. Due to his unnatural strength, the rock instantly crumbled under his hands and the section under his left came off completely. Edward groaned. Again, he strived to find a hand hold. He stretched out his hand and found a ledge that was jutting out of the uneven rock. He felt relief upon finding that it was sturdy and easily supported his weight. He took a breath and adjusted his grip. Once he was settled, he looked down at the ice cold river beneath him and lightened his hold. He really didn't want to fall into there. With determination, he turned to look up at the top of the cliff and estimated that he was about 60% of the way up. He could make it. No, he WOULD make it.

Steadily, he lifted a hand and found a good hold a little higher. Then he did the same for his right foot. Pushing up on the new foothold, he grabbed the next ledge with his right hand. Though his struggle was a little rough with the ice and the wind, Edward made good progress. His rhythm was steady and his movements sure. He smiled and continued to climb.

In the end, it had only taken a few moments for him to reach the top. However, he quickly became concerned once he realized that the ledge between the cliff and the sloped land was extremely narrow. Carefully, he pulled himself over the edge and made to stand facing toward the slope so he could see up it. It was a good thing that as a vampire, keeping his balance on such things was a natural talent.

Absentmindedly, he brushed off his pants and hands as he tried to see through the storm. The slope went up further a ways and his eyes widened at the sheer amount of damage he could see. Trees were broken in half and thrown to the side. The snow was disturbed in such a way that there were large mounds filling the branches of the trees not hit and nearly completely covering those that were. You could even see grass in some places where the snow had been completely up heaved.

Though all these things were curious, what really caught Edward's attention was that the snow was only disturbed half way up the slope while the rest remained completely untouched. Edward shook his head. That didn't make sense. The ridge of the snow that indicated the dragon's fall looked as if it would have kept going on up the mountain. There was no start indication, for there shouldn't have been.

Curious, Edward made to go up the slope only hazarding another quick glance towards the cave. The slope was very steep and icy, but the snow drifts left from the beast's fall did help in his climb some, where in some places it made the climb even more slippery. The snow was deep and cold. It easily reached his knees, forcing him to take his time. Still, he plowed through grabbing onto a fallen tree periodically for balance until he reached the place where the snow abruptly turned perfectly even. It looked like a blanket, a large white comforter spread over a table or a floor, even yet slightly lumpy, inviting, in a word, comfortable.

Edward looked around while he tried to sniff out the dragon's trail. Unfortunately, as he did so the wind picked up causing some of the snow to rise with it. It promptly ran up his nostrils and into his mouth causing him to cough out of habit. All he could smell was the scent of ice from the invading snow. He sneezed and rubbed a hand over his mouth. As his arm went over his face his head tilted to the side. Then he saw something. His eyes shifted to the left as they caught something luminous become unearthed from the snow by the wind.

With careful steps, Edward lowered his hand from his face and walked towards the small item. In the dark it looked to be made of some kind of silver metal and though there was no light, it gleamed slightly. As he approached, he slipped twice, the snow making him clumsy. Thus, upon reaching the thing, he lowered a hand and took a knee. Then, he grabbed a hold of the small object with careful, dexterous fingers.

Amazed, Edward immediately found that the item was a ring and it was surprisingly warm to the touch, though it had not melted any of the surrounding snow. He took a seat so he could examine it closely. It was heavy and though the diameter was small, the band of metal itself was thick, nearly an eighth of an inch.

The band was flawless, but it wasn't a complete circle. A section of it was open so that it could easily be attached to a necklace chain, or a bracelet. But as he thought of some of the modern jewelry he had seen at the high school, he re-evaluated his hypothesis. _Was it an earring? Perhaps_, he thought, _it was open so that it could rest along the edge of someone's nose, or ear._ He narrowed his eyes. Between his hands, Edward shifted the piece looking at the carvings that decorated it along the band. It looked to be some form of Japanese, but the characters were skewed making it a little hard for him to make out any of it.

He squinted and brought it up to his face. Suddenly, another section fell loose from the inside of the band, easily cutting into his hand. Instinctively, Edward jumped from the pain. He made a face. After a moment, he put his injured appendage into his mouth, then he looked down at the hidden piece amazed that such a small thing was strong enough to pierce even vampire skin.

The inner ring, the hidden piece, seemed to be made of a material different than that of the band and its color varied. Edward, however, couldn't really tell for sure in the darkness so he didn't focus too much on what it was made of. Obviously, it was much smaller than the outside ring. The difference in size allowed the small thing to slide easily in and out of the large band, though it seemed to have some kind of catch inside that prevented it from sliding out completely. _That must be the clasp_, he rationalized. What he didn't understand was why it seemed warmer than the outer ring. What was its additional purpose?

As he continued to look at the rare and valuable piece of jewelry, Edward's thoughts immediately diverted to others like it he had seen that evening. During the brief moment that he had to look at the monster, he had noticed the four thick shackle like rings that pierced its left ear. He had also noticed the small hole in the upper rim of the beast's right. He weighed the item in his hands and flipped it with his fingertips. He thought of the dragon and his questions concerning it. He flipped the ring again. Then, he thought of the ring he has holding. Perhaps he could use it.

It only took him a second for him to make his decision. With a careful grace, Edward pushed up out of the snow and stood up. Decidedly, he let the small circle in his hand slide into the front pocket of his jeans leaving comfortable warmth to settle along the curve of his hip. He let the palm of his right hand pat the little square, more out of being unused to the warm feeling than for security reasons. _That would take some getting used to_, he thought.

Absentmindedly, he then looked at the mess of destroyed forest before him. He thought of his wife's words from before, "the lease, I could do is help," and smiled. Perhaps, he could also help. For the next 20 minutes, Edward spent the time covering the beast's tracks.

* * *

"I'm sorry." Jasper's voice was calm, but it was accented with a twinge of worry that effectively alarmed those around him.

Carlisle looked up from where he was staring at the dragon to turn to regard his third and last son. Jasper's hands were in his pockets and his stance was slightly slouched. Carlisle let his unasked question crinkle his forehead and press his lips together slightly. _What happened, _his look said.

Jasper let out a breath and eyed the other three with them. He didn't look at the dragon. "I had used my ability," he said finally letting himself meet his mentor's eyes squarely. "To calm it mostly, but I think it was able to tell what I was doing and panicked."

Immediately, Carlisle wanted to ask if he had felt her feel anything that indicated her usage of her mind speaking ability, but he didn't quite want to share that information yet. He looked down at the creature and put his hands on his hips. It was funny how that title didn't seem to fit anymore. Making a quick decision, he spoke again. "What did you feel?"

"Distrust mostly," Jasper said. "Before a large amount of defensive anger."

"Distrust?"

Jasper answered. "At first, I thought the emotion was fear, but I was able to pin it down after some deliberation."

Carlisle nodded. "I can understand your confusion. Distrust after all is a kind of fear, a fear of the unknown in people. At least, now we know that she can't move."

Emmett laughed, "That's good thing isn't it? It probably would've bitten your hand off, right Carlisle?"

Carlisle gave a disapproving glare at his second youngest son, then looked down at Bella. She was kneeling with her hand still rubbing against the beast. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was biting her lip. When she looked up at him, a thought struck him. "Bella," he asked after a moment. The girl nodded. "In your story, you mentioned that you could communicate with it?"

Bella shifted her body so that she was looking at Carlisle from a more comfortable angle. Though she favored him with a good portion of her attention, she still continued to eye the dragon periodically. "Yes," she answered. "Though she couldn't talk per say, she could still understand what I was saying."

"Human language? English?" It was Jasper who asked.

Curious, Carlisle looked back at him. Had he come to the same conclusion that he himself had formed? He thought about the voice, it was a woman's and she had a strong English accent, not unlike his own at one time. There was more to this creature, and Carlisle found himself eager to learn more about it. Still, as terrible as it sounded, Carlisle was almost glad that the thing was sick. He would have never met the thing, and he could use his talents to his advantage.

Making a hypothesis, Carlisle tried to contact the creature through his mind. When there was no answer, he kneeled next to Bella. He made eye contact and gave the beast his most friendly smile, the one he used often at work, the one that said, "Hey, you can trust me."

The dragon just watched him, her gaze weary.

Carlisle took a breath and then spoke. "Hi, my daughter-in-law here, you helped her?"

Immediately, the dragon's face changed, her growl changed from a steady rhythm to one of irregular beats. Subtly, the flesh over her eyes quivered as if they wanted to lower, perhaps in frustration or anger.

Carlisle nodded. "Can you move anything," he asked.

The dragon grunted then hesitantly moved her lips showing a long fang. Her eyes shifted.

Carlisle felt pity rise in his heart at the way she must have been feeling not being able to move. Without looking up, Carlisle asked Jasper what the beast was feeling. Then, he told him to keep voicing any changes as they occurred. Jasper nodded and answered immediately, "She's frustrated," he said.

"I see." Carlisle continued, "Don't worry. My name is Carlisle Cullen. I am a doctor and I… we would like to help if you would allow us?"

Jasper answered for her. "She's uncertain, but resigned."

Carlisle nodded. "May I touch you?"

The dragon just stared at him unblinkingly. In the pause, Emmett allowed his thoughts to ring clear. "You're really doing it. You are talking to it."

"Emmett," Alice groaned. "Will you can it, already?!"

"Annoyance," Both Alice and Emmet looked at her husband. "The dragon is feeling this, not me." The last part was a lie, but they did not have to know that. Jasper purposely stared at Carlisle's back.

In spite of everything, Bella laughed drawing the attention of her dragon. Catching its eyes, her face turned serious once again. She leaned forward. "See, we aren't so bad. Please let us help," she asked.

The dragon looked back at Carlisle and then looked away. Jasper voiced her decision. "Acceptance. Extremely reluctant acceptance, but still acceptance."

Immediately, Carlisle went into doctor's mode and reached out to touch the animal. Though he was careful, Bella could still discern the no-nonsense, impersonal way he allowed himself to examine the dragon's body. He was professional. He started from her head running his hands along the top of it, checked her teeth, her eyes, ears, her neck, the side of her stomach, her tail, and her wings. By the end of the examination, he announced the obvious, "She's cold to the touch." Even with the heat of the fire, she was still cold.

"Emmett," the man asked as he continued to walk around her. "What did you find?"

The boy grunted in alarm and fumbled with his phone. Then with careful words he announced that while he had found several useful sites, there was one that might be the best suited for the situation at hand.

"Read it to me," was Carlisle's command.

"Cold reptiles are usually dark in color," Emmett began to read "… very cold to the touch and will be unresponsive when touched or handled. Body will be stiff and there will be little to no deep pain reaction, as when the sole of the foot is pressed deeply with your thumbnail."

"I think that is a check," Bella offered. Carlisle nodded. Just for certain, he pinched the inside skin of the dragon's hind foot. There was no reaction. Still, he was a little tickled by how large it was. With a breath, Carlisle led Emmett to continue.

"Treating hypothermia: re-warming must be done slowly, if warmed too fast, tissue damage may result." Carlisle nodded, he knew this. He pinched another foot. "Run a lukewarm bath and put the reptile in it… wait." He looked up at Carlisle and then at the creature… the very, very large creature. "May be I should try one of the others.

"No," Carlisle instructed. "I'm betting that the other sites will say something similar."

"What are you going to do, Carlisle? She's too big to bathe." Alice's eyes were filled with worry. She fiddled with the flashlight guiding it to keep up with Carlisle's movements.

"I don't know," he said. Briefly, he looked up at Jasper who was looking at him with a knowing look. Carlisle walked around the beast for he had climbed around to the other side to check it. He positioned himself back at her head and knelt down next to her. She was watching him from settled, knowing eyes.

"Do…" he started. "Do you have another form that could be smaller? To save you, we are going to have to carry you somewhere so we can get you warm again."

The beast looked at him and then at each person in the room separately. After a moment with each, she let her eyes come back to Carlisle.

"We won't hurt you, nor tell about anything pertaining to you."

Unsure, Carlisle asked again for an update from Jasper. The man said that her emotions were the same as before. Uncertainly, Carlisle nodded. Desperately, he tried to speak back to her with his mind. "Your secrets are safe with us," he vowed. "I have kept this one, please let us help you!"

The silence in his mind had never been more deafening. The seconds ticked on into a full minute, a second, a third, when he felt a small presence glide fragilely into his mind, like a child's hand sliding unexpectedly into an adult's. It stayed for a moment and then faded away leaving one word to echo in its absence. He smiled.


	6. Chapter Six: Into the Consequences

**Into the Consequences, part one**

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**Okay, this chapter is going up. It isn't perfect and I promise to fix it when I return to post part two which should be in a couple of days. It was originally going to be one complete chapter, but with the length, I couldn't finish it under the deadline I gave myself. So I split it. I apologize for any mistakes a head of time. Still I hope you enjoy the story and will continue to come back for more. Thank you for reading and reviewing. ~ ****CPX.**

**Disclaimer: As always, though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

* * *

The world had changed. In a matter of just a handful of hours, Seras's world up ended itself. It danced, twisted, and then it fell to the ground smashing itself into hundreds of pieces like an egg. And, it was all because of a decision. A decision that led to a series of decisions, an event that led to a series of events, which in turn led Seras down a road to a cave and a corner.

In the awaiting silence that held its breath like an angry child, Seras almost allowed her heart to regret. She regretted the decision to not find her seal. She regretted the fall into the river, and she regretted coming out in her dragon form in the first place. However, as she looked over at the vampires around her, as her eyes landed on the little one that sat concerned beside her, Seras was tempted to regret helping her. Yet, her heart protested. Morally, it was the correct path. This she couldn't deny, but the consequences thus far had been costly on both an emotional and physical level. She regretted those consequences, though she couldn't on a clean conscience regret helping the girl.

In the warm glow of the campfire, Seras allowed her serpentine eyes to scan from one vampire to the next. For each, she tried to discover some sign of disloyalty, some desperate reason for her to stubbornly refuse the lifeline that the doctor had presented her, but none showed. She thought of the young man who had just stormed out. He was angry and volatile, instantly wanting her blood without so much a reason other than the fact that she was a large mythical beast that refused to allow him into her mind. Was he reason enough to refuse the man's offer? Then, she thought of the other two the group had mentioned earlier. Would they be just as hostile? Were they a risk great enough for her to risk her own life over? She was certain that she wouldn't die, but with her seal gone, Seras wasn't confident of her safety either. Who else would stumble across her in the cave? At least with the group, she might find some protection. Though, it would be slight.

It was a dilemma, but as Seras watched the Alice girl throw the last log onto the fire, she wondered if it was a choice at all. She closed her eyes and took a breath. Then, she lifted them to gaze steadily, wearily, warningly at the man who would hold her safety in his hands. Through the mental connection she had yet to completely sever, Seras heard his plea. His mental voice, which had a distinct British accent that hailed from the country's capital, a telling difference from the American one he mimicked in vocal speech, lilted as he pleaded. _I have kept this secret. Let me help you!_ It, not so much the words, and the sincere desire she felt surrounding them influenced her to make her decision.

With a weariness she could feel in her bones, Seras let her presence be felt in his mind. She then held it for a moment, just long enough to give her consent. After which she let the connection fade so she could gather her strength for the transformation. She would need every last bit of it, of this she was certain. Silently, she watched the doctor who immediately took a step back before instructing Bella to do the same.

"What's going on," Emmett asked, his voice serious for once.

"The dragon's going to change forms," Jasper answered. "I felt her acceptance."

Carlisle agreed verbally before looking over to Alice, who was busy attending to the fire. It had started to wither and since Carlisle hadn't needed the flashlight at the moment, she had dropped it off by the chest and retrieved a log. Carlisle, reminding himself to restock the pile, called her name and successfully received her attention. "Could you please get the blankets out of the chest and bring them here. I'm not sure the results of the change, but if she turns human like the wolves, she is going to need covering."

Alice did as asked without a second thought.

"What if she doesn't turn human," Bella asked.

Carlisle looked at her. "Then, we still wrap her in the blankets. Our skin being cold as it is could cause more damage. At least, the blankets would help keep her warm until we get her home."

"Home," Emmett asked. "That's a long way from here in the snow. Why not somewhere else?"

"It's so we can keep her a secret obviously," Jasper answered for him. "It's what we promised her. And, there is no telling what we risk if we bring her out into the open in either form." He watched his wife head towards the back of the cave to retrieve the key for the chest. When he saw her start to climb over the dragon's tail to reach them, he instantly moved to help her.

"Jasper's right," Carlisle said moving further away from the animal. He kept a watchful eye on it waiting for something to happen. "Her kind may have a hierarchy like we do. Who knows what we are risking by just helping her out as we are now."

Alice, having reached the keys from under a rock located on the other side of the large limb, began to climb back over. Though she didn't need it, she used Jasper's hand to balance herself careful to not step on the massive thing. Then, she gave him a brilliant smile before turning back to Emmett. "Plus, she's sick. We don't have much time. We need to get her out of here." She let her foot settle next to the other and then she started to walk towards the chest in the corner.

"Okay, I get it, but what about Edward?" Emmett insisted. "He is still, you know… brooding."

His answer was a beat of silence. Immediately, Bella backed away to look out into the storm. Carlisle watched her, as did everyone else, as she tried to see into the trees and up the cliff. "I don't see him," she said eventually.

"He just needs time," Jasper offered, repeating what was said earlier.

"That may be true, but this has to stop. Bella! What's going on?! You two have been at it since you came home from your honeymoon," Emmett said. He put his phone away and crossed his arms.

Bella looked at him with nervous eyes. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to speak, but nothing came out.

Carlisle intervened. "Emmett, whatever happened is their business. This is not the time."

"But-"

"No," Carlisle said firmly. "Edward knows the way home and-"

"Carlisle!"

"AND we will not leave him either. Jasper, you and I are going together to get this creature home. You are my interpreter, I cannot lose you. Emmett, you can stay here to make sure your brother won't panic upon finding us gone. Does this please you?"

Emmett nodded in silence. He wasn't upset nor meant to be difficult. He just wanted to make sure all was accounted for, something that Carlisle was all too aware of.

"Alice and Bella." Carlisle looked at both of them. "Whether you come or go is up to you."

Bella reluctantly turned her head away from him. Her arms were crossed and she looked pensive. She looked down at the dragon for a moment meeting the wet gold of its iris before she looked up at her father-in-law. "Edward would be worried." It was all she said, all she had to say.

Carlisle nodded easily accepting the decision, though it would be misleading to say that he didn't feel some disappointment in it.

Alice , by this time, had already knelt and opened the large chest. She quickly reached in and shifted through the flashlights, extra jackets, batteries, knives, rope, and other "survival" items to find the fluffy stack of blue wool-like blankets, the kind similar to those you would find in a hotel. She wrapped her arms around two of them and lifted them out. As she stretched to stand, she began to reassure Bella. "Don't worry, Bella," she said. "I'll stay with you. It will be cool…" Suddenly, she stopped talking.

Like everyone in the room, Seras turned to look at the vampire who stood frozen with her gaze wide and clouded. If she could move, her head would have tilted.

"Alice?" It was Bella who spoke.

Jasper walked closer to her and gently grasped her by the elbow. "What do you see? Can you speak?"

Alice didn't answer him, at least not at first. She stood frozen for a minute before her face twisted. Her eyebrows rose. Her mouth slacked briefly before it crumpled like a pastel rose in the hand of a giant. It caused her lips to part and reveal pearly white teeth. Then, her hands clenched and her arms tightened, wrapping tightly around the dark blue blankets. Her ample strength easily bunched up the thick fluff.

Jasper eased himself closer. At the moment, he wished that Edward hadn't stormed off; at least he would have been able to tell them what she was seeing. Gently, he called her name again while watching her facial expressions change from awe to fright to pure bewilderment. "Sweetheart?" His voice was soft, his accent more pronounced in his worry.

"Let her finish," Carlisle said gently to him. He, then, looked down at the dragon who was also staring at the girl in silence. "She sees visions," he explained softly.

The dragon looked up at him acknowledging the brief commentary before looking back to watch the girl. If Carlisle could hazard a guess, the animal almost looked pensive, almost a little…

He never got to finish the thought, for Alice snapped back to the present.

Instantly, she blinked and dropped the blankets. She whimpered slightly. Then, she wrapped herself into her husband smelling the calming, familiar scent of his cologne.

Jasper let out a breath and then in turn wrapped himself around her. After a moment, when she didn't speak, he prodded her gently. "What did you see," he asked.

Gathering herself, she pulled away from him then she turned to look at the others around her. Though they all looked worried, none broke the silence waiting anxiously for her to speak. When she looked down at the dragon, she swallowed. "I saw a man," she said eventually. She took a breath and then started to speak quickly, aware that they really didn't have the time for a long conversation. "He had shoulder length, straight black hair. His eyes - I mean all of his eyes, the white, the iris, everything - were red and they glowed. His teeth were all razor sharp and he was wearing heavy armor, something that looked like it was from China or another Asian country." She wrinkled her eyebrows. "He was smiling evilly as if in triumph as he rode a large white dog through a hole in the sky like he was Jesus, or something; an evil and incredibly twisted version of the second coming. He had an army following him, but I couldn't see them too well, because the hole wasn't wide enough." She stopped to swallow.

In the pause, Emmet spoke. Like his sister-in-law, he looked confused. "Was he a vampire? Were we there?"

She looked at him then shook her head. "No, I… I don't know." She crossed her arms. "The only real distinctive marking on him that I could see was on his chest.

"What was it," Bella asked.

"A red cross. It was highly decorative, too." She furrowed her eyebrows and tapped a finger to her chin. Then she lowered her hands to play with the bottom of her shirt. "Anyway, I didn't have much time to look at it too closely."

"What do you mean, Alice," Carlisle asked.

She looked over at him and tried to model his calmness. This part unnerved her. "I had looked at the cross for a second and I squinted so I could see it better. I mean, he was so far away, but as I did so, everything just suddenly went black."

"Like the dream ended," Emmett asked.

"No," she shook her head, while bending over to pick up the blankets. She shook them out and held them close to her chest between her arms. "Like I went blind and deaf at the same time. I was still there, but I couldn't see or hear anything. It was like I was blocked from seeing it. It was alarming."

Carlisle's brow crinkled in confusion. "Were you tailing anyone at the time?"

She nodded as she looked towards the entrance way. "I was looking for Edward and…" She trailed off. Her eyes ghosted over to the dragon in the corner, but no one noticed.

Everyone, Bella, Emmett, and Carlisle, had all been distracted and were watching Jasper. He had instantly crouched in a defensive stance, ready as if for battle. His eyes were narrowed and they were gazing suspiciously at what seemed to be the dragon.

Bella whispered his name before turning to regard the beast.

The thing's eyes, its red and yellow luminous eyes which were easily the size of her hand, were now the size of a dinner plate. Those alone were alarming, but what was downright terrorizing was the fact that the thing had moved. Its head was raised high and back. Its teeth were bared and its talents lengthened. It was on its feet, its back arched and it was trembling. "Oh my god," Bella whispered. Instinctively, the thing tried to take a step back, like it was trying to flee into the wall behind it.

_It knows what she just saw!_ Jasper screamed in his mind. _It knows!_ He had felt the thing's curiosity when Alice received her vision, her concern and acceptance of Carlisle's explanation, but when she had started to listen in on Alice's description, Jasper had instantly felt the change; the exchanging of genuine curiosity to alarm to dread and then to pure terror. That was when he saw it move, when it took itself into the back of the cave and bared incredibly large sharp teeth.

He moved to stand before Alice prompting Emmett to do the same for Bella. He crouched and waited as Carlisle turned to look up at the creature, which now filled the room. He wouldn't attack it if the thing didn't attack first, yet he would be ready. Jasper eyed its scars and reminded himself not to jump to conclusions. Still, that didn't mean he wouldn't be ready in case those conclusions were wrong.

In the fire light, Carlisle stood before his family. He gazed up at the creature before him in awe and determination. Like the others, he was worried. He hadn't heard the thing move. It shouldn't have been able to move! He swallowed and took a step forward. Instantly, the beast began to growl. He retreated and turned slightly to regard his third son. "He felt the change," he confirmed in his mind. "Was it the vision? He turned back towards the dragon whose eyes never left Alice. He narrowed his own. Then, he made a decision.

"Emmett," he said, his tone booking no argument. "You will take Alice and Bella and find Edward. You three will go to a shelter. Then, you will call to tell us where you are and we will give you further instruction from there. Do you understand?"

Emmett nodded.

"I can't hear you," Carlisle said through clenched teeth.

Emmett swallowed. "What about you two, and Esme and Rosalie?"

Carlisle turned slightly to look at him, then shook his head. "We will calm her down and then get her to change so we can treat her at the house. I'm hoping Esme, at least, would help in bathing her, especially if she turns human. If things get out of hand, I'll send your mate to you, I promise."

Emmett just looked at him.

Carlisle turned back again. "Please, Emmett."

Understanding, Emmett finally backed away pushing Bella towards the cave's entrance. "Come on, Alice," he said softly.

Alice took a step in his direction, but hesitated. She eyed the dragon, her husband, and Carlisle. "Do you think this is wise sending me away?"

"Do as he says," Jasper encouraged her, speaking up for the man. "It will be okay."

Reluctantly, she nodded and moved to leave, quickly placing the blankets on the floor. Bella followed suit, wordlessly guided by Alice who had grabbed her by the arm.

Finally, Emmett turned to follow them out. Still, he paused to glare at the other two from over his shoulder. "Don't die," he said, then left.

* * *

The following silence was deafening, broken only by the howl of the winter wind, the crackling of the campfire, and the soft growl of the dragon crouched in the back of the darkening cave. From his advantage point behind his mentor, Jasper watched tensely as the man stood still as stone. He counted to ten and then to twenty giving time for the others to make a speedy escape. Then, he stepped forward, his feet making no sound on the soft floor of the cave's interior. He watched the dragon and it watched him. Though her growl remained, it stayed steady. It was a good sign, he thought, though the fear that rattled her bones screamed otherwise.

When he came level with his adoptive father, he let his eyes slant towards him taking in his thoughtful expression. The man looked up at him in return. "Do you have a plan," Jasper asked quietly.

Carlisle shook his hand. "Not yet apart from getting Alice out."

"You caught that," Jasper asked implying the vision without words.

Carlisle nodded and pursed his lips. Slowly, he let his hands run over the soft fabric of his pants before he pocketed them. Cautiously, he straightened out of his defensive stance and forced himself to relax. Jasper watched him curiously, as did the dragon. The growl paused and then started again.

Jasper hesitated before his soft southern accent infiltrated the cold air. "What are you doing," he asked.

Carlisle looked back at him with a tension in his face that was steadily disappearing. "Showing the creature that there isn't anything for it to be fearful of," he said. He took his hands out of his pockets showing empty, open palms. "Maybe by doing this, she would know that we do not intend to bring her harm." His voice raised in volume steadily so that the dragon could easily hear him. There would be no secrets, no pretenses.

Jasper, in all honesty, thought the idea to be utterly ridiculous and was about to voice his opinion as respectfully as he could, when the dragon again paused in its growling. He tensed not really knowing what to make of the change. He licked his lips and re-evaluated the dragon's emotions. Though, it was still somewhat fearful, he could also feel the beginnings of a patient curiosity begin to sprout within it. As a result, he too forced himself to relax his stance and to stand straighter. _Perhaps, this could work_, he thought.

The dragon watched Carlisle steadily and Carlisle just as calmly exchanged eye contact with it. Slowly, in the wake of the soft growling, he raised his hand palm up, the other he brought to his lips making a kind of shushing sound between his fingers. He took a step forward and began to talk calmly. "Please," he said. He took a breath and smelt the slowly burning pine wood behind him and the smoke that had begun to waft all around them. "Please… it's okay." He took another step, then another, and then there was silence.

Jasper watched on in dumb amazement as the man continued to edge towards the creature. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, but as he watched the two, the dragon, focused, cautious, and still deadly, and the vampire, determined, fascinated, and careful, he remembered the rest of what he knew of Carlisle's past; of what he believed and of those he had united because of those beliefs. Steadily, like the war-weary soldier he had been and always was on the inside, Jasper let the rest of his stance ease. He too stood straight and casual. _For it anyone could get this creature calm and to safety_, he reasoned as he watched the man ease back into the beast's strike range, _it would be him_._ It would be Dr. Carlisle Cullen_

It was at this time that Jasper caught wind of the change in the atmosphere. Less worried about a sudden attack, Jasper finally let his eyes roam over the empty cave taking in the steadily dying fire, the messy open chest with the key dangling from the lock, the crumpled blankets on the floor and the smoke that curled lazily around his feet in the gentle breeze. Suddenly, a thought struck him. He took a step back and turned his head towards the cave's entrance; the entrance with a small curved threshold that had successfully blocked the snow and wind from entering all night. The muscles in his jaw tightened as he scanned the floor and the ceiling looking for a hole, a draft, something that would give cause for the smoke to circle around them like it was. Finding nothing, Jasper again backed away.

He lifted his head and scanned the dragon. _Was this it's doing_, he wondered. He looked from its head, the large red eyes locked unblinkingly with Carlisle's, to its arched neck, the large folded wings, the flexing spine and finally down to the long curling tail with its scales raised sharply. His eyebrows furrowed. _Those scales weren't raised like that before._

Secretly, so not to draw attention to himself, Jasper edged forward to take a closer look, all the while he watched the dragon in case it noticed him. When it didn't, being still preoccupied with Carlisle who was steadily getting close enough to touch it, Jasper swallowed and turned his head. He looked down at the tail and made note of how the pointed edges of the scales, the part that overlapped the ones below them, looked as if someone had lifted them up, like one would a flap over a door. He wished he could touch them. He wanted to know how they were able to stand like that.

It wasn't long before he was able to witness firsthand the answer to his question. For slowly before his eyes, Jasper watched the scales above the ones already raised begin to rise. They lifted steadily one by one up the tail, across its back side, and down its leg racing quickly to cover its spine and stomach.

As the scales that stood on end increased in number over the body of the massive creature, Jasper's eyes widened as he felt the wind and smoke around them gradually begin to pick up speed. He took a large, heavily alarmed step back before choking out a whisper. "Carlisle," he said trying to get the man's attention. He was unsuccessful. After a moment, in the awaiting silence, he tried again. "Carlisle, don't!"

In the back of his mind, Carlisle had registered his son calling his name, and somewhere in his hearing he had also registered the barely contained alarmed warning in the deep tone. Still, he refused to back down. He didn't want to break whatever spell the thing had cast over him, the spell he had cast over it. He was almost there.

It was when he was only a foot away, not even that, that he first noticed the scales on the creature starting to rise. Yet, as he continued to stare into the beast's eyes, Carlisle couldn't bring himself to be alarmed. Again, he heard his son call his name, but still he moved forward.

In the increasing darkness brought on from the flame dying behind him, Carlisle stretched out his hand. Before him, the dragon did not move apart from letting out a breath that was easily seen in the quickly decreasing temperature. Then suddenly, just as his fingertips caressed the roughly scaled skin of the beast's snout, when the rising motion of the scales had finally reached the thing's head, the dragon's body shattered, like a glass ball dropped on a cement floor. The sound of the crash was mighty and its sight spectacular. Alarmed, Carlisle backed away as its scales scattered, starting from its tail and ending with its head leaving nothing, but black glossy flakes that twirled and danced in the air; one hundred pieces, a thousand, floating in the air with the gray smoke dancing around them. He crouched down and covered his head as did Jasper. Still, he left a crack open between his arms just enough so that he could see. For a few moments, the parted scales dispersed and sailed around the cave. Then, like a carefully choreographed domino game, they aligned themselves again with the smoke, reforming the beast's head, its back, and its tail, but smaller.

For another brief, but telling moment, Carlisle felt disappointment in the transformation; that she hadn't turned human. Yet, he was instantly shamed by the emotion. He moved forward in the stillness as he looked at the deadly still animal that was roughly the size of a large dog. Jasper was quiet as was he. _What if that was the only form she had power enough to go into_, he thought.

As he approached, he quickly took in the darker blackened scales covering its body, at the way it lay unmoving on its side with its wings spread limply across the floor. Its red eyes stared up at the ceiling open, unresponsive, and sightless. He held his breath and knelt beside it. With careful hands, Carlisle lifted the body and tried not to panic at the way it raised delicately off the ground as he cradled it in his arms. Then he saw the scar. He let his fingertips graze gently over the dark crescent moon that looked like it had been painfully chiseled into its forehead with the two thick crooked stripes that ran down both cheeks. He blinked away the conclusions that were quickly spreading in his mind as he leaned forward and put his ear to its mouth. He counted to ten, then waited, wishing to feel something blow across his cheek. When he reached two, his eyes closed in relief. Then, he exhaled.

Jasper, he reasoned, must have registered his nervousness and the easing of his tension, for immediately, he broke the silence. "Is it alive," he asked.

Carlisle nodded quickly, but with an edge of concern that painted the movement dark and foreboding. "Yes, but she hasn't much time. Bring those blankets over quickly. We need to wrap her and leave."

In an instant, Jasper did as he was told and just as quickly, Carlisle took the two large blankets and cocooned the thing within them. Then, he gathered her more securely between his arms and hefted himself easily to his feet.

Taking a step towards the cave's entrance, he turned to eye his son, who had just finished putting the cave back to rights; dousing the fire, re-locking the chest and re-hiding the key. Within seconds, the young man was next to him. "Shall we go," Jasper asked him.

Carlisle nodded solemnly. "We have wasted enough time." With that, they left the cave and headed straight into the storm.


	7. Chapter Seven: Into the Consequences

Locked in her mind, the world is dark and menacing, filled with nothing, but bad memories and nightmares. Awakened, the world is lighter, but filled with confusion and frustration. Caught in between, Seras ponders the family that has rescued her unaware that someone is tracking her through the snow. He is headed west with only one thought on his mind, finding the dragon, his Seras Victoria.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Seven: Into the Consequences, Part Two**

**Disclaimer: As always, though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

* * *

Her surroundings were relatively quiet, except for the soft sounds of the ocean beneath her. For a moment, Seras let her mind drift and sway with the movement of her body. Her thoughts were cloudy like the sky.

_The sky? Was it cloudy?_ She opened her eyes and looked up drowsily.

The sky was dark purple in color, a blend of black and red clouds that hung stagnate in the air with no sun, or moon to accompany them. There were no stars either. Confused, Seras lifted a lightly tanned, slender arm to rest it against the soft bangs on her forehead. The familiar blonde strands tickled her gently. Even as the long tips cascaded into her eyes, she knew it to be a welcomed feeling. Like lying on the wooden boards beneathe her, swaying from side to side like a hammock in the wind, it was comfortable. It made her feel lazy and tired.

She blinked heavy eyes reluctantly, as she tried to defy the caressing arms of sleep just long enough to take in the wooden walls around her. They curved to a point at her feet. The bottom planks were also curved. She could feel them cradle her body gently. Was she on a boat? A canoe? She turned her head looking at the structure. It was ragged, yet sturdy with no leaks or holes, just healthy, roughly carpentered new wood. She had just as quickly noticed that there were also no ores, or food. In fact, the small row boat was spare, empty except for her and the sky.

Seras returned to lying on her back. She stared straight above her for a moment and then rolled over to the left closing her eyes. Though she knew she should care that she was stranded, she didn't. She was tired. She was drifting.

* * *

Later, Seras was re-awakened with a jerk and a whisper. Opening her eyes, she whimpered softly before rising carefully in the roughly rocking row boat. She placed an arm along the side and looked around at the choppy water. Cold, golden eyes scanned the horizon. It was empty, but for an ocean and a vast angry sky. The clouds were billowing, yet it hadn't rained.

Biting her lip, careful of her sharp teeth, Seras scooted around the boat looking over the side and within it. She swallowed as the last remnants of sleep disappeared when she recalled the alarming realization that she was stranded. Immediately, she went to touch her back and felt only the rippled soft cotton of the white tank top she was wearing. When there were no extra limbs indicating her wings, she made to grab her ears. Her chains, the four seals in her left ear were still there, but the one in her right was missing. Panicked, she tried to stand in silence. The boat rocked more and teetered dangerously beneath her, causing the water to splash onto her gray army cargo pants. Still, she ignored the cold wetness that stained the thick fabric as she expanded her aura and made to shift. She wanted to grow wings and a tail, but nothing happened. She looked around bewildered, confused and lost. How did she get here?

"How did you get here?" Seras stilled upon hearing a voice echo over the waters. She turned towards it.

"She was lost and the thing found her. Then we found it…" Another voice broke through the static of the ocean's waves. It was deeper than the one before. She turned quickly towards the direction that it was coming from. The boat rocked violently with the movement, yet Seras didn't care. She knew the voice, though she couldn't place it; couldn't give it a name.

"Is it dead?"

_Dead?_

Was she dead? Again, she turned. The third voice having come from another direction.

"No, it isn't. It's just a sleep…"

_Sleep?_

The boat teetered and the choppy waters in reaction began to rise and grow tall. The waves violently rocked the boat, causing it to tip. Desperately, Seras grabbed hold of a side as her balance began to dwindle.

"She doesn't have much,"a voice echoed softly before fading mid-sentence.

Seras grimaced. She didn't have much what? The thought flashed quickly before she was thrown into the sea. The boat toppled after her, landing upside down over the place where she fell, leaving nothing but a brown wooden mound to mark the place of her descent.

* * *

The water was dark like the sky. Seras sank downwards a second, a minute, while she looked as clearly as the darkness allowed her at her hands which floated and swayed above; at her hair that danced like ink in the liquid thickness. She blinked and stared up at the surface above. Then, she opened her mouth to let out the air that was pounding to be released. When air bubbles didn't form, she pondered the contents of the water confused. Quickly, she stopped exhaling and slackened her jaw. She cracked it just enough to let a small sampling of the dark water to spill into her mouth.

Immediately, she gagged. The water tasted vile, of flesh and metal, of blood that long since begun to rot. Rushed with the need to cough and breathe, Seras flailed her legs drudgingly putting a halt to her descent and quickly starting to ascend upwards towards the water's surface. But then, the current picked up making the ocean's weight heavy and oppressive. Its invisible arms were strong and immovable as it fought with her. Seras soundlessly cried out as she was thrown side over side in the water unable to do anything but dance to the current's pleasure, a like a puppet in the hand of a misbehaving child.

Fear gripped her heart. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't see the surface. She couldn't do anything. Then suddenly, she was thrown with a wave of black blood onto a vast sandy shore stretching endlessly along the water's edge.

Immediately, Seras sucked in gallons of air effectively bringing the stale atmosphere into her lungs while her large breasts heaved rapidly with the action. They rubbed against the sand as it shifted gently like the rolling tide beneath her. Then on shaking arms she lifted herself to her hands and knees. She whimpered softly. With tears threatening to run down her cheeks, Seras used the back of her hand to wipe her mouth, trying and failing to eliminate the aftertaste of the spoiled blood from her tongue. It wouldn't dissipate. A tear descended, but then some of the sand snuck between her lips offending the surface of her tongue. She made a face. In sheer disgust, she spat it out, the dampness of the gritty graduals making the task difficult.

The wind picked up as she fought to catch her breath. Still, Seras watched as her blond hair flew about her. She mused that the tie for her spiky ponytail must have come undone while she was in the ocean leaving the thick mass to flail helplessly into her eyes. Though earlier she had welcomed the feeling, she quickly found it annoying. She sat up and started to pat her pockets looking for something to tie it back with. Feeling a soft lump in her right one, Seras let her hand delve beneath the folds and pulled out a blood drenched white ribbon. She paused to stare at it, but then as she brought the long sturdy thing to her face, she felt the feeling of something soft and heavy glide slowly down the curve of her shoulder. Immediately, she turned her head and watched with a mixture of amazement and apprehension as her white tank top stretched and shifted. It quickly formed long billowy sleeves as the neck split into two halves wrapping themselves around her center with a black obi; the same color that quickly invaded the white cotton of her shirt turning it into thick heavy silk. At her waist, the short black formal gi tucked itself into her military pants, which also then quickly shifted turning into black silk hakama, her combat boots into thong sandals.

Taking a breath, Seras lifted her hand and tied her hair back with the ribbon. Her eyes watched steadily as blood the color of red velvet dripped from her bangs falling softly onto her left cheek. It smelled. She crinkled her nose and made to wipe the stench from her skin when a thick strand of shoulder length blonde hair tangled around her arm. When she lifted her other hand to unwind the strand from sopping raven sleeves, she noticed that the colorless, black ink that had first turned her clothes began to saturate itself into her hair. It climbed independently upwards towards her scalp effectively turning the soft tendrils black, making them long and wild.

Seras moved to rub the raised scar on her forehead as a sudden heaviness settled itself on her heart. Having caught her breath sufficiently, Seras turned to look at her surroundings. The beech was vast, but vacant. The sand was a brown purple color, like the sky, like the bleeding ocean behind her. Lowering her hand, Seras let her fingers dig through the wet sand and brought a small clump to her nose. It smelt like blood, though only vaguely. She squeezed it for a moment before she let it fall to the ground. Then, she rubbed her hands together removing the last bit of the sticky sand from her palms as she turned to regard the land before her. She narrowed her eyes in concentration. The beech bordered the edge of a thick and dark empty wood. The trees were so tall that as she raised her head, she couldn't see the tops, nor the leaves or the sky.

As she knelt looking up, appearing in the darkness in front of her a sudden small light caught her eye. Seras swallowed and lowered her head to peer between the spaces of the trees. Further away, she could see movement. It was luminous white, and whatever it was, it walked slowly towards her. Due to the number of trees, however, she couldn't exactly see what it was. With curious anticipation, Seras leaned forward waiting for the creature to break through the tree line. She didn't have to wait long, for in moments, like the moon breaking through the clouds in the night sky, Seras watched in sheer awe as a proud, yet cautious white stallion stepped from the forest revealing sky blue eyes, glossy white fur and silky blue hair that made up its mane and surrounded its hooves like a cloak.

Steadily, Seras lifted her eyes as she stared at the beast from its hooves to its softly muscled body. Slowly, they rose as she looked up its neck to descend the top crest of its head that hung proudly before her. Then, finally with a sense of pure reverence, the gold of her irises rose to follow the curled path of the sapphire horn that sat proudly on its forehead. She instantly stilled as did the beast. _They should not exist_, she thought, _not in this realm_. Her mind knew that, as did her heart, though she would be lying if she said that she hadn't longed to gaze on one, to see its purity with her own eyes.

A beat of silence hung between the two tying them together, before a growing shadow caught Seras's eye. She looked down briefly and noticed a long, dark horizontal line steadily cover herself in shadow. It covered her hands and then the beech before her. Looking back up, she caught only for a second the flash of alarm in the unicorn's eyes before it silently turned to run into the forest.

Seras, filled with dread, turned to look behind her, her hair whipping in the rising wind. Then, her heart lurched. Above her standing 50 feet or more, rose a wall of blood, a title wave preparing to overrun the shore. Without taking the time to think, Seras rushed to her feet, nearly falling back down from slipping on the sand in her sandals. Then, she took off towards the trees feeling the shadow of the wave covering her tracks, biting at her heals, as she weaved in between the branchless trunks. The sand overflowed into the forest a few feet making her slide clumsily around them, but a good 100 feet or so, it was gradually replaced with the hard, rocky soil commonly found in forests. The change was welcome, for it gave her surety and traction. Immediately, she let the demon in her go and it ran, speeding inhumanly fast through the trees, weaving agilely through the spaces between them.

She didn't look back, though she could still hear the roaring of the wave increase in volume, though she thought she felt its spray pelt her back making her clothes wetter and her hair sticky. She kept running, kept racing, even as the air whipped her face, even when the trees themselves gradually smudged together like thick clouds in the background of her vision turning vaguely into unlit candles… no, dimly lit candles that looked like they had some kind of writing on them. Even then, she didn't look. Not at the people… no, the trees turned into people, standing dead with bloodless eyes, empty eyes, that stared at her while she ran. She never looked back. She didn't turn to the side. She didn't stop.

Relief, though, quickly raced through her heart when she saw a light pierce through the darkness in front of her. She focused in on that sliver of hope and pumped her legs faster. Immediately, the rush of the wave's roar crested and she stumbled upon feeling the earth quake beneath her feet.

In the back of her mind, she longed to look behind her, to see her doom race at her without thought or emotion. Yet, she didn't knowing that doing so would surely be her down fall. Thus, with death racing at her heals consuming the trees, the candles and the standing corpses around her, Seras broke through the second tree line. She tore through the meadow and ran straight towards the stout house that sat in the middle of it.

Without considering to knock, she ran into the door, pried it open with shaking hands, and rushed inside. Then, and only then, did she pause to look at the world behind her. The black, purple, and red title wave ripped through the forest of people. Some of the corpses floated, while those who stood waiting for their doom turned towards the house and watched her as she hid behind the door. Her heart was in her throat seeing them, but just as the wave broke through the last tree line she turned her back. She slammed the door shut and put her back to it. She closed her eyes, and then waited. When nothing happened, she re opened them then whimpered.

It was pure black in the small closet she was in, except for a sliver of light that shone in her eyes. Seras blinked and stepped to the side. When her eyes adjusted to the low light, she took a moment to scan the familiar surroundings. Turning around, the first thing she looked at was the thick heavy woodened door behind her. Holding her breath, she let her hand cascade over the carved surface feeling the smooth wood rise and dip under her fingers. She wished that the limited light would allow her to view the entire image, but as she squinted, she could only make out splashes of color, of golden oranges.

With a breath, she turned and acknowledged the presence of the many bottles, boxes, and baskets that rested around her in neat rows. She sighed and ran her hand over one of the heavy metal chests. She wondered over how after all these years, she still didn't know what they held, but she had an idea. Dreading what was coming, Seras removed her hand from the closed chest and turned to regard the second set of doors, the ones she intimately knew were cable of sliding apart to reveal the light behind them. Seras bit her lip and looked down at her hands. She didn't want to go, but something in her prodded her forward. She didn't have a choice, she knew this.

Taking five shuffling steps, Seras walked the short distance forward into the sliver of light. As she moved to place her hand on the side of one of the doors, she felt something warm and sticky wet her feet over her sandals. She looked down knowing it was blood before she ever saw the ruby red liquid glimmer eerily in the golden light. She counted to ten and looked up knowing she had to. She looked straight into the light and through the crack.

At first, she saw nothing on the other side, just a white golden lit room that seemed empty based off of the little sliver she could see. She let out a breath then she turned briefly to reach towards the other door when movement caught her eye. It swiveled towards the crack. Steadily, a black shadow covered the warm golden light casting the closet into twilight.

Reluctantly, Seras swallowed and turned back to the two closet doors. She leaned forward and focused her eyes as she gazed into the darkness between the two halves seeing, knowing what was already on the other side looking in. The eye was red and it glowed inhumanly in the darkness. It had neither a pupil nor an iris, just a lid that blinked lazily over the wide angrily exposed eye flesh.

Seras covered her mouth with both of her hands quickly trying to hide the whimper that was threatening to break through the trembling gates of her lips, as if that would help. She backed up until her back hit the front door. It crashed painfully against the rough surface making it shudder, as if that would keep the clawed hands away from her. They were already prying the doors open. She scrunched her eyes, which were beginning to overflow in tears. She sank down to the floor feeling without seeing the man on the other side of the doors grin widely. He narrowed his eyes, and slinked a black grasping hand towards her.

* * *

Seras's eyes snapped open. Her body tensed, its muscles bunched, her wings froze, and her tail uncoiled sharply as she felt a cold hand lightly descend upon the top of her head between her horns and ears. It briskly stroked the small tuff of hair there before it shimmied roughly through her mane, neck and over the curve of her back. She turned her head, which had been resting calmly on her forelegs, to regard the concerned, slowly blinking golden, brown eyes of the young female vampire before her. Seras blinked, and relaxed. Then, she yawned widely.

"Hey," Bella said softly. "Did you have a nice nap?" She ran her hand a few more times down the dragon's back causing it to arch feline like into her palm. It had been nearly a week since they had brought her home and Seras assumed that the pup still couldn't quite come to terms with her current size, or her slow recovery. The girl had hardly left her side.

Seras stilled as she waited for the girl to lean forward and pick her up. That had also become a habit, an annoying one at that. She automatically stopped herself from grimacing as the girl performed the predicted action. Bella cautiously picked the dragon up, took her place on the sofa, and then plopped her on her lap. Seras sighed in frustrated acceptance as she felt the girl begin to run her hands down her back once more. The pup was one of two in the family who constantly did this. Apparently, there was some unwritten rule with this species. It stated that befriending one resulted in the aforementioned creature to develop a certain constant irrational need to touch the new companion. As Seras made the mental note to record her new discovery in her notebook upon the return of her health and humanity, she lazily looked about the spacious first floor of the house she was currently staying.

The first floor was L-shaped and spacious with little in terms to walls to break up the numerous rooms situated within it. Currently, Seras and the pup were resting on a loveseat that was part of a four piece living room set. It consisted of a three part couch, an arm chair, loveseat and a coffee table. These things were all situated around an extremely large flat screen television set with all the latest hookups, a fireplace that was always roaring, a few paintings, and an expensive looking authentic Persian rug.

Across from her place on the loveseat was the arm chair, but behind that was a small extension of the living room. It housed a raised platform with a large grand piano in the center and two doors that led to an office and the stairs to the basement. To her right were the TV and the fireplace, which were both situated in a corner. Behind her was a large window that looked out over the front lawn, the driveway, and the thick woods that gave the house privacy from the world and its human inhabitants. Then to her left, the room extended into a kitchen with a small island in the middle. In the furthest wall where the cabinets were built, a small door was nestled between them leading to the garage. L-shaped stairs branched off between the kitchen and the living room leading to the 2nd and 3rd floors where the libraries and bedrooms were kept, while the front door sat opposite it. To the left of the stairs, a hallway extended leading to the dining room and a bathroom.

It was a lovely space and normally, this floor was relatively quiet in the afternoons making it an ideal place to sleep and recover. However, as Seras looked at the hustle and bustle of the family moving around her, Seras re-evaluated her plan to stay in it on this particular afternoon.

Edward came into the room slamming the glass door behind him. He stopped behind the three-part couch to look at his wife and her new… pet on the loveseat. "What are you doing just sitting around," he said tersely. "You should be helping to get things packed into the car."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I was just taking a break. Besides, we should be nearly done. We are vampires. With our speed and agility," she lowered her voice in a mock-expert tone, and continued on sarcastically, "we should have been done in less than a second. Not the two and half hours spent on just deciding what goes in it."

Edward's lips tilted as if they wanted to smile. "You know Alice. She has a routine. First, decide on everything that we could possibly bring. Then, decide on the least amount that we should be bringing because the former selection doesn't fit in the car in the first place." He counted the steps on his fingers making Bella giggle, and Seras inwardly smile. "Then adjust from there by individually adding and subtracting additional items based on individual preference, luxury and space. It's an important meticulous process that has to be followed to a T every single time we go on a road trip, be it for two days or a year."

"You mean _planned_ road trips," Bella reminded gently, recalling instantly the multiple last minute escapes that they had in the past two years. The comment, though said in jest, immediately disintegrated whatever good rapport that was building between the two. Edward's smile cracked and Bella looked out the window. Behind her, she could see his silver S60R surrounded by Alice and Rosalie fussing over the mound of suitcases around it. "I don't see why we need so much stuff for a two maybe three day stay with my mom back at home, anyway."

"Bella, we've been over this. It's two to three days, because we are also stopping by a number of colleges, which you picked out by the way. It's why we went hunting in the first place. You promised, Bella, that you wouldn't settle after the wedding, after I turned you."

"I know what I promised," she said.

"You are going to finish your education."

"Or what, Edward? You'll make me?" she said sarcastically, neither raising her voice or its pitch. Her eyebrows lowered as her eyes shifted to regard him. They bored into his own heedless of the fact that he was doing the same to hers.

Edward pompously huffed. "That's not how I meant to say it."

_But that is what came out. _It was what Bella wanted to say, what Seras was thinking. Seras curved her tail around the girl offering some moral support to soothe the hurt she knew she was feeling.

Noticing the move, Edward glared. The dragon didn't have the right.

"What I don't understand," Bella continued oblivious, "is why we have to do this right now. It's winter."

"The season means nothing," Edward grounded out.

Bella blinked, not necessarily understanding were the sudden aggression came from. Although, as she lowered her eyes to connect them with the dragon on her lap, she could easily hazard a guess. He'd been pricklier since they had brought her home, even more so whenever the dragon was around, though she couldn't fathom as to why. It had saved her life. She wasn't physically offensive like the wolves were. She wasn't a love interest like Jacob was. There was no logical reason for his anger, unless there was something he hadn't told anyone. Her mind settled to ponder the idea.

Edward, though upset, stopped upon seeing the surprise hurt flutter across his wife's eyes. He took a breath and started again. "By going now, we could get a jump start and it would save us a trip." He said, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Besides, this isn't just for you." Another male voice chipped in. The three turned to watch Jasper walk in from the garage carrying an unbuilt box upstairs. He stopped mid-way to finish his input while starting to construct it. "We are also looking at colleges too, remember?" He gave the two of them a look before going up stairs. "Why don't you leave her be, Edward. We're almost done anyway." He suggested.

Edward let out a long suffering sigh, before he walked up the stairs behind Jasper. That was, of course, after he had given one more irritated glare at the two on the couch.

Bella sighed and slouched back in the loveseat moving Seras along with her. Seras just shifted to get more comfortable. Just as Bella went to run her hands through Seras's mane once more, the door to the garage swung open revealing the matriarch of the Cullen family. She was tall, and slender, young with long wavy brunette hair, a creamy complexion, the trademark Cullen golden eyes and a soft smile. Getting a glance at the two on the couch, her smile grew broader, if not a tad softer. "Are you ready to go?"

Bella continued to play with the dark coarse hair between her fingers a moment before looking up at her mother-in-law. "Yeah, I think so, Esme. Are you sure she can't come with us?"

Esme tilted her head, her eyes crinkling with her smile. "Unfortunately, Carlisle has said under no uncertain terms was she to go with us. She is not yet well and we don't want to chance something else ruining her health."

Seras rolled her eyes at the comment. Though it was true that her powers were slow in coming back, she wasn't some weak thing to be babied. She had tried, rather forcefully, to argue with the man that she was ok, but he wouldn't hear of it. In fact, he went out of his way to make sure that she, "did as the doctor ordered."

"Since he has to work anyway, he will stay behind to ensure your little friend will be okay."

_More like make sure that I don't leave my cage and eat the carpeting. And I'm not little._ Seras glared at the woman while Bella laughed.

"You haven't seen her real size, Esme. Believe me she is far from little."

Esme smiled back. "I suppose so, but until she is able to transform again, I'll never be able to right? She's so… domestic right now. Sometimes, apart from the outside appearance, you forget that she isn't a cat or some other household pet."

Seras immediately bristled. _I'm not a pet_. Then she let out a breath instead of the hot steam that was currently building in her brain. She could always break into the lady's mind and tell her what for, but since she had arrived, Seras wasn't all that eager to show too much of herself or what she could do. Being brought into their inner circle for the short time that she had, Seras still didn't quite know what to make of the family.

They were ordinary people, living ordinary lives, but they were vampires. In spite of the strength they could have gained from following in the footsteps of others in their breed drinking human blood, living for themselves and their hunger, they purposely chose the weaker route of digesting animal life to prevent the shedding of blood. They were relatively weak and they continuously chose to stay that way. She couldn't understand it.

What she did understand plain as day was that the family was divided in their opinions on her presence. It was blatantly obvious that Edward hated her and the girl outside, the vain beauty, could care less. The matriarch? Seras looked up as she walked over to the stairs to call down her sons.

Bella spoke, asking the question that was floating in Seras's mind. "You don't pet her at all."

Pausing, Esme looked over to the girl with a curious tilt of her head. Her smile turned sheepish. "What do you mean?' she asked, not quite hiding the tentative tone in her voice.

Seras watched on intrigued.

"You don't like her, or are you scared? She won't hurt you, you know."

Esme's smile broadened, but not in a happy way. It was bordering nervous, a caught red-handed, guilt ridden kind of smile. "Oh, it's not that I don't like your new friend. I'm just not all that fond of…" she stopped to swallow, trying and failing to hide her slight disgust. "reptiles, my dear, something that your father-in-law is all too aware of."

"Oh," Bella laughed gently, understanding immediately.

"If you have the time, you should talk to him about the chameleon."

Bella's smile widened. "What happened?"

"No, that's Carlisle's story." With that, Esme turned back to the stairs. "Have you seen Emmett?"

Bella shook her head. "Not really. He's been holed up in his room all week working on his computer. The last time I saw him, he was printing out maps of Washington State."

Esme furrowed her eyebrows. "Whatever for? EMMETT!" She blinked and immediately she was looking eye to chest with her son. "Do-," she paused to smile up at him. "Do you have everything packed? Your wife is getting anxious."

"Oh yeah," Emmett replied. "It's up in the room. Let me go get it."

"Wait a moment," she interrupted as he turned to go back upstairs. "Bella said that you were printing maps?" Her eyebrows were raised though her eyes were sparking in humor.

Emmett paused and looked back at her. His smile was broad and cocky. "Am I the only person in this family who understands the significance of having a dragon living in our house?" Seeing the blank faces on both women, Emmett sighed impatiently and turned to them fully once more. "Everybody knows," he started waving his hand in the air, "that dragons do two things… well actually, three things, but one goes with the other so it doesn't count."

Seras promptly rolled her eyes, and settled into her vampire pillow. She met Emmet's stare head on. She narrowed her eyes. He smirked.

"They steal maidens and horde stuff, mainly gold, silver, and precious stones. Look, it has already taken a maiden," he said pointing at the two on the coach. "They've been buddy-buddy since the day she discover it. And! As for me, I'm going to be the smart one who will find its horde of treasure."

"And," Jasper's voice floated down from the top of the stairs. "Being the stereotyping genius that you are, you will be the bright one to get himself turned into gold, or stone, or another dragon of some sort, because the gold was enchanted in the first place." His steps drummed evenly down each stair as he carried the now full box of books to the first floor. "What's the matter Emmett, get sick of being a vampire already. It's only been, what, a hundred years since your turning." He pushed Emmett out of the way with the edge of the box before walking straight across the space where the living room and the kitchen met to the front door.

"Esme, could you," he asked juggling the box between his knee and two hands. Before she could move however, the door was immediately opened revealing the sunny, welcoming smile of his wife. "See me did you?" he said in passing. "Thank you."

She smiled, "It's my pleasure and no I just have good timing." She watched him leave before looking at the people left inside. "Got your stuff, Emmett?"

"Of course," he said. "Was going to get it but, hey. Um, did you see anything about me and the dragon, anything involving gold and the like?"

Alice blinked and glanced briefly at the thing. "No, nothing like that. I haven't seen anything yet." She said looking back at him. She purposely failed to mention the fact that she couldn't see anything period in reference to the creature or, that their own fates were beginning to fade the deeper they got involved with her. She would be lying, if she didn't admit the fact that it made her extremely nervous. It was an emotion that both Seras and Jasper had quickly picked up on, Seras, by her observations of the girl, Jasper, by his abilities. Seras could also sense with the husband that the more his girl worried, the more uneasy he was with her as well. She also felt a growing curiosity build in the man. It too made her curious, for his desire to learn of her clashed with his increasing suspicions. She wondered where he would land.

Tilting her head, Seras mused over the group. If she had to, she thought looking at the family, she could split the divisions in this way: those who didn't like her, Edward and Rosalie, those who were unsure, Esme, Alice, and Jasper, the greedy one, Emmett, who would use her for his own gain, and then those who befriended her, Bella and the doctor.

Seras lifted herself and stepped off the couch unnoticed by all except for Bella, who watched her silently. She walked through the throng of people talking in front of the hallway and passed Emmett who had finally raced up the stairs and back with his stuff. Ignoring him as he rambled about stealing her money, she trudged up the stairs to the second floor and then paused. At the top, there was a balcony with a fence railing that allowed one to look over the bars and down into the living room. Seras peered quietly through the white painted beams and watched the members of the household flitter about in and out of the house. Her thoughts were blank, but her emotions weren't. She couldn't sort them out.

Giving up for the moment, she turned to walk around the corner when she found herself looking at jean covered legs wearing clean white sneakers. She looked up the two strong limbs finding a slender body, thin neck, stubborn jaw, and deep European set eyes that were attractive and dark. Without a second thought, Seras quickly took a step to the side allowing the young man, who was carrying a suitcase, to walk pass her. She watched him and he did her without a word. However, it was when he had turned the corner that she was able to get a good glimpse at the man's left hand. It was then that she saw it. The ring, that was not a ring, which he was wearing around his fourth finger. It was made of a silver metal with green carvings that elegantly decorated its thick silver band.

Catching his eye, Seras all but glared. He, in turn, raised an eyebrow. He paused waiting for her to do something, anything. Yet Seras, seeing the challenge for what it was, flicked her tail and stormed down the hall ignoring the eyes that followed her as she slinked through the shadows. Edward smirked and shifted the suitcase in his hands. Then, he turned and descended the stairs.

* * *

The hallway was of moderate length and though the natural light wafted softly through the living room windows, it was a bit shady, making the area dark and comfortable, which Seras liked. It didn't take long for her to walk to the end of the narrow space and find the partially open door she was looking for. Hesitantly, Seras nudged the heavy wood cracking it open enough for her to gaze inside at the desk, the couch and the mahogany shelves. Predictably, it was empty since both owners were out.

With a swish of a tail, Seras stalked into the still quiet place. She walked past the couch and its coffee table covered in magazines, the shelves and doors leading to another office and a private library, and around the semi cluttered desk and its chair. Looking under the elegant mahogany piece at the cozy space there, Seras slinked in and curled up into a scaly ball, then she closed her eyes. Though her mind muttered over things, of rings, nightmares, and visions, it took nothing for her to drift and fall into slumber.

A few minutes later, the wooden door widened slightly allowing a man dressed in black slacks, grey socks, and a beige sweater to walk confidently into the comfortable office. Like Seras, he too sashayed passed the couch and the coffee table with its magazines, all the while dropping another one onto the large stack. He continued past the shelves and the two doors. Then, he walked around the desk to sit in the leather office chair behind it, causing it to roll, creak, and sway with the action. Without realizing how close he had come to stepping on a scaly tail, the man settled himself rolling the chair closer to the desk and began to work pulling out neatly folded paper, a check book, a pen, a heavy stapler, and a certain colorless spreadsheet on his computer. It took nothing for the well disciplined man to get lost in fine print and the meticulous art of spending his money.

Sleeping and planning are all consuming activities. They easily take over every crevasse of a person's mind and attention. Thus, it was understandable that neither beings, the man nor the dragon, did not notice each other, or the cross breeze that drifted in from the open window. It sailed mischievously through the white curtains behind the computer chair, across the desk, the room and then out through the open door grabbing it in the process and slamming it shut suddenly.

Seras automatically jumped and drowsily cracked an eye open, while the man jerked shifting papers over the cramped table space and promptly knocking the stapler off the desk. It landed squarely on the unsuspecting reptilian tail that slinked unnoticed around his feet.

Seras heard the thud first then felt the blinding pain second. Reflexively, she jerked to her feet, her cry coming out in a high pitched squeak that was quickly drowned out by the thud and crash of the desk as she promptly rammed her head into the underpart of the table and knocked the whole thing over. Papers scattered, pens flew, and desk ornaments dropped like heavy cannon balls. Only by mere luck, the computer monitor, which was also fated to fall and break, was saved by the quick instinctive catch of two well trained vampire hands.

Seras blinked and looked down at the mess around her which included some broken knick knacks, a mouse, a keyboard, and random papers that floated lazily through the air. Her ears lowered and she grimaced before looking up at the man who was currently blinking dazedly at her from his seat in his office chair. She swallowed rebuilding their mental connection. _I'm sorry, _she said after a moment.

Seras turned and began to carefully gather the papers around her using her teeth. Carlisle watched on for a moment, still as a wax statue with the computer monitor still clutched in his hand. When Seras climbed over the upturned desk and set it back up using the tip of her nose, he instinctively placed the thing down. Then, he got up.

Before she could grab another piece of paper, Seras was surprised to feel cold, gentle hands pick up her tail and rub even colder fingers over the place where the stapler had landed.

"Are you okay," Carlisle's careful tenor mumbled into the silence. Seras looked back at him, surprised to see him kneeling at her feet. He was looking intently at her wound. Carefully, she nodded and then lowered her head, her ears flat to her skull.

_I'm sorry_, she repeated again in his mind.

Carlisle shook his head and began to pick up the rest of the mess. Her tail looked and felt okay to his relief. He hadn't meant to harm her. "It's no bother. The fault is mine. I didn't realize you were under there," he admitted sheepishly. He placed a small stack of papers on the desk before he stooped to start gathering some of the other objects that had fallen. "Bella said that you had gone upstairs not too long ago, but she didn't know which way you headed. Apparently, she had woken you?"

Seras nodded. They should have known where she would be, Seras thought to herself. _I practically live in here._

"I should have known you would be in here," Carlisle said repeating her thoughts unknowingly. "You've been in here constantly during the last couple of days." His smile was knowing.

Seras curled her tail. _The couch is comfortable_, she said_. _

_And no one bothers me_, she finished to herself.

Carlisle nodded in understanding. Picking up a broken knick knack, he tossed it into the waste paper basket that was on the other side of the desk. "Well, you are welcomed to stay then, if you don't mind me doing some work in your presence."

Looking up at him, Seras nodded her head in agreement once more. She tilted her head and her wings shifted slightly. _Thank you_. Then she turned to look at the righted room. Finding it clean and presentable, she turned to climb onto the brown leather couch.

In turn, Carlisle smile and watched her for a moment. Then, he turned to regard his desk, which was now lacking a couple statues and a stapler. Walking back around it to his chair, he found the thing lying on its side on the floor. With a grunt, he bent and picked it up. Then, he sat down placeing the object on the desk thinking that maybe it was time to get some new decorations anyway. He once again rolled to the desk and began to reorganize the stack of bills before tracking down where his wireless mouse went. He couldn't quite hide his smile when he began to hear soft snoring. It subtlety filled the air of his now much warmer home office.

* * *

After he got started, it took nothing for Carlisle to finish sorting through his bills and tackling a few things for the hospital. He pushed himself away from his desk and let his eyes drift to the clock. It was 3pm. He exhaled and stretched before looking over to where the dragon was on the couch. He slowly got up from his spot in the chair and walked across the room grabbing the medical journal he had deposited on the coffee table a half an hour before.

Careful to not wake the thing that was deep in slumber, Carlisle placed the magazine under his armpit before bending down to gently lift the creature. He made room enough for him to sit down with its head lying partially on his lap. Seras grumbled a little and nuzzled her nose into the man's sweater. She unconsciously enjoyed his closeness as his scent of autumn leaves and ivy soap wafted over her. Carlisle smiled and absentmindedly moved his fingertips to gently scratch her ear. Then he pulled the journal out and opened it. With a soft smile on his lips he began to read.

A half an hour later, the door opened gently. Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, Carlisle looked up and watched as his wife of 90 years gazed at him from the doorway. Her hand rested on the knob, the bright color of her fingernails harmonizing with the silver color easily. He smiled. "Leaving already," he asked.

Her smile was soft and intimate. It was the same smile that he had first seen only a few moments after their first kiss, when he realized that she loved him, and he, her. It belonged only to him. "Finished with work already?" she answered back softly, mindful of the creature sleeping on his lap.

Carlisle let out a breath and shook his head. "No, just taking a break. " His hand lifted to run them through his medium length blond hair.

Esme eyed the movement, and then looked at the thick journal in his other hand. Her smile broadened knowing that what he said was a lie. She walked over to him, darting gracefully around the coffee table to place a soundless kiss on his lips.

The man looked up into her eyes and raised a hand to let it caress the soft curls that waved gently along her cheek.

"We won't be gone long," she whispered catching his eye with hers.

His crinkled slightly as he watched her face lean into his hand. "I know," he said, placing another kiss on soft full lips. Then, he lowered his hand and leaned back. "Drive safe and keep your phone on."

Esme nodded and then took a step back from him eyeing the dragon that still dozed into his side. "I guess, I don't have to ask for you to stay safe. I think our friend here will take good care of you." She tilted her head as Carlisle nodded.

He placed the journal on the couch beside him before he moved to gently pick up the dragon and place her back onto the couch. Standing, he immediately wrapped himself around his wife embracing her before stepping aside to escort her from the room. "Let me see you off." It was all he said before Seras watched him close the door softly behind him.

* * *

The country side was quiet except for the occasional baying of a crow and the constant sound of the snow crunching under his feet. The large black wolf circled the small clearing. With his nose, he scanned meticulously over the snow looking for something, praying for anything to stand out apart from the smell of water, dirt, feces, and trees. He lifted his head and looked about as his ears swiveled back and forth. He growled and then waited. Nothing happened. He then lifted his head and howled. When even that went unanswered, the wolf proudly, menacingly lowered his face and bared a fang. Then with sure even steps, the wolf stormed out of the meadow headed west. His tail swayed gently from side to side picking up a powdered dusting of snow that quickly turned his thick wet coat smoky white, like his paws and his snout were already. Though, his limbs were cold, the beast ignored the harsh bite as he focused on the path that led towards the Pacific to the place where she had said she was headed.

The wolf gritted his teeth as his piercing blue eyes glinted in the late afternoon day light. He would find her, he swore, his Seras Victoria.

* * *

**Hey! That wraps up the beginning and the Twilight arc. The meat starts after this with the Inuyasha arc. As I told someone else on here, this story is very heavy in the Hellsing, Inuyasha and Samurai Deeper universes. The Twilight characters are involved, but they are witnesses discovering Seras's world as the readers are. They are secondary characters because of this, though they have their own little stories through out. So no worries. **

**I really appreciate those you who have stuck with me so far. You people keep me going, though I think I would still write even if it was just for myself. I love this story. Thank you for your time and please look out for the next preview. That should give you a rough estimate of the next posting. I liked doing that. Have a good week. Calla**


	8. Chapter Eight: Out of the House

Finally left by herself in the house, Seras attempts to turn human, but she's not alone.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Eight: ****Out of the House: a Decision, a Discovery**

******Disclaimer: As always, though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

* * *

The house was strange in the silence. Lying on the couch in Carlisle's office for the second day of two, Seras learned fast the multiple sounds of the house. The refrigerator beeped. The clocks ticked. As it rose for the day, the first floor groaned and at night, the second grumbled, in spite of how new the building was. Seras couldn't help but think that it was no different from a grumpy old man. It fussed every minute of the day, and complained over everything that occurred, what with all the gadgets and other noise makers the family owned. Even with all of them gone, Seras was amazed at how constant the noise was inside the house. But that, she concluded, may have been a result from her always listening for her chance to escape.

Between Esme and Carlisle, Seras found no such occasion. Carlisle's orders, though good in their intention, required constant rest and the strict adherence to always stay inside the Cullen residence. Because of her adamant disagreement on the matter, they also required the constant need for supervision. Esme, being the dutiful wife she was, followed the order firmly. She always had an ear open and an eye. By working at home, she ensured that Seras complied.

Though she understood and marginally agreed with them, Seras couldn't help but feel restless. She was eager to stretch and test her powers. She wanted to become human and to do it far from the prying eyes of the family. For though she knew that she was welcomed into their presence, she could never completely escape their careful surveillance; their curious, yet untrusting gaze. But now, her chance had come. The patriarch, the man with the power to order her in, was the only one left in the house. Since he couldn't take off from work he had no choice, but to leave her to her own devices. Her opportunity was in reach.

Thinking of the man, Seras grimaced and tapped her tail in frustration. He had not been pleased. Yet after nearly an hour of arguing with him and enduring twice that in lectures over her physical limitations, Carlisle had given in. An important surgery made it necessary. So that morning, Seras waited and listened carefully, like the predator she was, as the man moved about the house dutifully following his daily routine. He showered noisily and quietly dressed. Then he shuffled quickly down three flights of stairs while his hands fiddled with clinky keys, a zipper that swooshed, and plastic fabric that crinkled when worn. As she heard the tall tale sound of the door knob turn and click, she lifted an ear waiting for the answering slam of it closing. She listened to the clock on his desk tick on - one second, two seconds, three - and then, to her chagrin, she heard his footsteps climb back up the stairs.

Seras sighed as his feet trudged on. Heavier and quicker than before, they raced up the first six steps, swiveled, and then stomped up ten more. Then, they scooted around the corner. Shuffling hastily down the hall, they came to an abrupt stop just outside the door Seras was hiding behind. Her eyes slanted towards it, then she settled herself further into the couch.

Smiling, the man opened the door to his office. His teeth were white and sterile, like his profession. "Nearly walked out without seeing you," he said as he strolled briefly across the room. Reaching the couch, Carlisle bent low to ruffle the hair on top of Seras's head.

_"You didn't have to,"_ She spoke shyly into his mind. Seras attempted to smile without looking as if she was about to eat him. It was difficult to say the least.

"Ridiculous. What kind of doctor or host would I be if I just left without saying good-bye?" He sat on the coffee table shifting the magazines underneath him.

_A less controlling one? _ Seras forced herself to remain still in spite of her inner complaining, as the man went to grab her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Now, you remember our agreement." His voice was firm, the well-practiced tone of a perpetual parent.

Seras looked at him and tried to nod even with the constraining pressure of his fingers caging themselves around her jaw.

"Don't go outside."

_"I won't go outside_," Seras parroted back.

"You will rest!"

_"Rest I will."_

"And eat!"

_"And_…" She stopped and swallowed. "_And I will try to eat_."

Carlisle gave her a look before removing his hand from her chin. Seras couldn't really blame him. Both he and Esme had been willfully preparing her homemade meals, though she was sure the smell clearly offended them. It was true, she admitted. They were only a semi cooked meat stir-fry modeled after recipes made for dogs and other carnivore animals, but to her they smelled wonderful. They WERE wonderful. However, Seras couldn't quite lower herself enough to eat from the small bowl they provided for her. It was one crafted for humans, but they left it on the floor forcing her to eat it while they watched. It made her feel like a dumb animal, something less than what she was. Seras shifted on the couch causing the authentic cow hide to squeak huskily underneath her. She couldn't quite stomach it, nor could she reveal to them the problem. It would be rude and it could bring up too many suspicions, too many questions. So, she hadn't eaten as much as she should have, though she knew the worry and hurt the other two were feeling.

Seras looked away. "_I will be fine. You won't be gone long right?"_

Carlisle nodded though his uncertainty made the movement slow and jerky. "Only a few hours." He folded his arms. "I'll be home around eight at the latest."

Nodding, Seras eyed the clock. It was 11 now. _That's nine hours._ She tilted her head.

"Then I'm off," Carlisle sighed. Quickly, he got off the mahogany coffee table while corralling the crinkled magazines so they wouldn't fall. Then, he gave Seras another quick ruffling of the hair, and patted his pockets for his keys. When he left, he pulled them out letting the metal clink and chime softly as he exited.

Seras followed his movements as he walked out of the office leaving the door open. Then she listened. His footsteps shuffled softly down the hall before plummeting down its set of stairs to the front door. A second later, it closed and the subtle sound of his car ignited in the silent wake before it whined as he drove off towards the hospital. In moments, when the house settled, Seras closed her eyes basking in her solitude. The house was finally empty and the partial silence, the small noises ignored, was welcoming. Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at the clock and lowered her head on her paws. She waited.

* * *

On orders from Aro, her master and maker, the vampire Jane had secretly watched the Cullen residence faithfully for the past half a year, since their ill-fated visit to Italy. That day they had made a promise to Aro. They would change their human pet vampire. Since then, Aro desired. He wanted a constant eye fixed squarely on the contemptible coven. He wanted to see if they would keep their promise, to know if they would give him a reason to finally destroy the group and take what he wanted, those with the gifts to make himself and the Volturi more powerful. Thus she, as usual, had been chosen to fulfill this need. She was his eyes, his ears, and need be, his punishing hand.

It was an interesting task to say the least. Between the war with the wolves and the in-species fighting with the vampire Victoria, it was at times very fascinating. Fascinating enough that their latest escapade, which brought on a full-out battle between the two species, the quaint little ramble drew more than just the eyes of the Volturi to the west. Still they, like the Volturi, had yet to act. They, too, were waiting in the wings for a mistake, a decision, a reason.

For a time, Jane admitted, it seemed that the reason would never come. Then the human had married, vanishing with her husband only to come back vampire. It successfully closed one issue, while further aggravated another. Though she had thought, at that time, that she might return home to fulfill another assignment; Aro had given orders against the move. He had interest with the possible war with the wolves and the actions that followed.

Jane narrowed her eyes and leaned her back against a tree. Her blonde hair pulled tightly in a bun, flailed delicately against the rough bark. It had been nearly a month since their return and the official start of the war between the shifters and the vampires. Yet, nothing had happened apart from the wolves stepping up their patrols and the Cullen's carrying about their lives subtly preparing to uproot once more. The fact was that the two groups were hesitating and Jane was disappointed in their unwillingness to act.

She looked down at her nails which were clear and unblemished. They were perfect and young unlike what they would have been if she had burned that day on the pyre, the day she was executed as a witch. Humans, no matter their race or power were a violent lot. Like their higher ranking counter parts, it took little for them to find a reason to destroy each other. It was a solid, cold fact, one that gave and kept Jane in her place of power. Thus, she didn't understand these groups of people and longed to leave. The waiting was unpleasant. Her interest had quickly drained and died like the world around her, covered in white harsh snow. But then, at the height of her disappointment, the Cullen's had done something that re-peaked her attention.

The group had gone together on a hunting trip. If such an action wasn't below her, Jane would have scoffed at the term for they didn't hunt. Hunting was for the pursuit of humans not the vermin they lowered themselves to eating. The trip though, however detestable, was profitable. Within a day, during a sudden storm, the coven leader, the eccentric Dr. Cullen and one of his followers had returned carrying with them something large and unmoving.

From her angle and due to the particularly large blanket the thing was wrapped in, she was unable to see the creäture. All she saw was a scaly tail that dangled lifelessly by his side. Still, she had seen the conversation between him, his wife, and the other female, as well as the rushed commotion as they moved to save it. Since then, she had seen neither hide, nor tail of the creäture apart from blurred glimpses that radiated ambiguously through the frosted living room windows.

Jane looked up upon hearing the front door of the Cullen residence jerk open. Immediately, she moved behind the tree, while her head and amber red eyes peaked around the thick trunk. Two days ago, most of the family had left on a car trip leaving only the coven leader behind, most likely to guard whatever the thing was they were hiding. As a result, Demetri, the Volturi's tracker, had left with them while she stayed behind, eager to sate her rarely peaked curiosity. She stilled and focused.

The man jingled a small set of keys while he stood distracted on the stoop of his house. The door was wide open, but the man, in spite the risk, promptly left the white-painted panel to sway gently in the wind. He quickly stepped back inside the living room just as a passing thought silenced his keys and the ruffling of his jacket. Ever patient, Jane waited and watched the open door, staying put knowing that entering the house would surely give her away. In little under 10 minutes, the man returned looking concerned and slightly flustered as he walked through the door. He closed it sharply and then briskly climbed into his car before driving off. Jane watched the tiny blue Mercedes turn off the street before she turned to eye the almost empty building. Now completely unafraid of the consequences, she changed positions edging closer to the large modern dwelling place. Finding another tree, she climbed up to a high branch that allowed her to see into nearly all the front windows simultaneously. It pleased her to know that they were now clear and perfectly transparent. Maybe this time she would see the thing move and reveal itself.

* * *

It was two o'clock when Seras finally removed herself from the couch. Carlisle had phoned, his voice calling to her calmly from the black mesh speaker of his white digital answering machine. Sighing, Seras crawled quickly off of the warm brown leather couch over to the desk. The phone sat on a side table that ran perpendicular from it to the window, casually running between it and the wall. She jumped on the sturdy thing and clumsily knocked the receiver from its stand to the smooth surface below it. After it thudded gently, she growled low into the handset as her tail waved lazily over the computer monitor and a hideous looking green Tiffany lamp.

Carlisle laughed, "Good, I was just checking in on you."

Seras growled back, knowing this was ridiculous.

"I forgot to let you know there is food in your bowl."

She rolled her eyes. He had implied it.

"And I got a call from Esme."

Here, she lifted an ear.

"The group will be coming home tonight."

Then, both immediately flattened. _So much for peace and quiet_.

"They will be home very late, though. I wanted to give you a heads up."

Seras nodded and then growled again, remembering that he couldn't hear her.

"Good, stay out of trouble and stay put," he said firmly before promptly hanging up.

Seras looked down at the receiver as the connection began to buzz annoyingly. Letting determination snake through her tail and spark her yellow eyes, she lowered her head and picked up the sleek grey and black handset between her strong scaly jaws. Then, she set it carefully on its stand. With a flutter of wings, she leaped off the glass like surface of the desk to land squarely on the warm coarse carpet that covered the floor. She let her bones stretch a little before she turned to walk out of the office.

Entering into the hallway, Seras paused to think about where to go. Now that she was truly on her own, she wanted to try changing back into her human form, but where to do it was the question. The house, though large, was loaded with numerous items that were expensive and easily breakable. Transformations were messy, even for the healthy.

Making a guess, Seras walked straight down the hall to the corner and the stairs. By habit, she looked over the balcony railing as she descended on four soundless feet to the main floor. Here she paused and looked around her. She eyed the windows and the many paintings. However, she mostly eyed the fireplace with the flame that danced freely in its hearth.

Seras's wings lowered. How long would it be before she could bring forth her own flame? Had it already returned? She needed to know, to try. She huffed and then suddenly, in the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the door that led down to the basement. Curious, she walked towards the large oak panel and sat before it. Was it locked? Seras rose on two hind legs and used her front paws to clutch the golden knob carefully. She didn't want to scratch it. Heaven knew what the reaction would be.

When the knob mechanism clicked and the door swung easily open, Seras shuffled back awkwardly all the while trying to not trip on her tail. Then she plopped down on four feet before stepping hesitantly into the small alcove. The tiny hallway was dark gradually becoming pitch black where the stairs began to descend into the hidden rooms. Seras swiveled an ear as she looked around for a light switch. Finding two above her head, she rose once again on hind legs and tapped the right one on. When nothing happened, she tilted her head. Then, she tried to turn on the left. When both the lights of the stairs and the hallway down below fluttered on happily, Seras swiftly lowered back to her feet and began to descend the stairs, promptly forgetting about the other light switch.

She could tell that the steps were well maintained and dust free. They didn't squeak or rattle under her weight. Yet, as she walked carefully down the last two steps, she admitted to herself that she would have been more surprised if they were. This family was meticulous, especially with the care and maintenance of their material goods. Their house was a good example. It was beautiful and elegantly decorated. It was something of pride for them, she knew. Thus, she wondered what the basement was like.

Reaching the bottom, Seras let her serpentine eyes take in the short hallway before her. The walls were finished and painted a beige color that looked homely in the low lighting. The floor, however, was made of uncovered cement and there were no decorations on the walls. _What did they do_, Seras thought critically, _get bored of decorating? Did they stop at the first floor? _

Taking her time, Seras sashayed down the hallway with her wings properly tucked in and her tail lifted high swaying gracefully with each step. There were three doors, one on each wall. Curious, Seras pushed her nose against the door on her right. It gave way easily, revealing two brand new washing machines, a sink, and a blue bottle of laundry soap. Seras twitched her nose at the uninteresting room whose smell tickled her nostrils. She backed out into the hallway, letting the door close behind her.

Turning around, she regarded the door across from her that was originally on her left. It was plain and unremarkable, like the other two. Hazarding a guess, Seras again nudged her nose against the thin wood. Opening it easily, she revealed exactly what she expected, an empty unremarkable boiler room. _All their secrets must be upstairs, _she concluded.

Once again, Seras backed out into the hallway, her tail flicking with the movement. She huffed and turned to regard the last and final door. It was to her left, across from the stairs. Guessing from the size of the last two rooms, this one would be the largest. Seras tilted her head wondering at the actual size of the basement.

Like the others, the door was plain and thin, but unlike them, it didn't open easily. Pushing against it using a good portion of her weight, the door wobbled and then jerked open with a sudden snap revealing the musty scent of damp mildew. _Did the thing flood?_ Seras's ears flattened against her skull as she stepped delicately into the room.

She squinted as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the low light. Though the hallway was lit, the room wasn't and the given light didn't penetrate past a foot beyond the door. In the semi darkness that immediately gave Seras a sense of comfort, she searched the walls for a light switch. Not finding one in the immediate vicinity, Seras backed away from the wall and allowed her serpentine vision to pickup what little radiance the room offered.

Looking up, the room was rather large and spacious with ceilings that looked to be about 9 feet high, maybe more. There was only one window. It was blocked efficiently by some of the heavily pined bushes found in the back of the rather large estate. Because of this, it wasn't a very efficient source of light. However, it did let in enough for Seras to see the few boxes and other storage bins that were in the room. Beyond that, the space was empty. To herself, Seras grinned. It was perfect.

With that, Seras walked to the center of the room casually looking around her at some of the items placed against the walls. They didn't look fragile and seemed sturdy enough, which she was glad. If she was wrong and something got damaged, she would replace it. She could do that much.

Reaching the center, Seras turned towards the door feeling the coldness of the cement tickle her clawed feet. Then, she lifted her head and stilled.

* * *

Four hours later, there was movement in the house. The phone had begun to ring followed by the clear droning of a female voice stating that no one was home. Then, she heard the doctor's crisp, but soft voice call out for a person to pick up the phone. Her eyes narrowed at the first name, unique and rare. She thought about the tail, connecting dots leading to contemptible conclusions. _It couldn't be_, Jane thought leaning forward. The answering machine abruptly cut off mid message and Jane could barely hear a deep growl start and stop randomly as if it was talking. Then it stopped completely. Minutes later, from her clear advantage point in the trees, Jane watched as the creature, a black medium-sized dragon stepped delicately down the stairs. Its head repeatedly turned to the left and the right as if looking for something. Jane's fingers tightened along the narrow branch she was astride on. _They had brought in a dragon?_

Dragons were rare to see among the immortal community. They were nearly extinct and those still living rarely made public appearances though they were known, talked of only in legend. Although her eyesight was spectacular, Jane desired to get a closer vision of the creature knowing that her Maker would also wish it.

When the thing moved to open the door to the basement and entered, Jane swiftly climbed down the tree and edged silently as she could towards the house. From earlier inquiry, she knew that there were only three windows looking into the basement, two smiling down into the utility room and one into the large storage room they had. Guessing that the creature was headed there, she moved to walk around the back of the house until she found the small rectangular window.

Finding it covered with a thick line of bushes that bordered the house, Jane hesitated wondering if the risk of exposure was low enough for her to enter them. Making a decision, she moved forward and edged around the bushes careful to not disturb any of the pine leaves or branches. She was grateful that the family didn't cover the ground with noisy stones or wood clippings, just earth laid silent and unmoving.

Walking around to the right side of the window, Jane crouched along the wall with her back resting against it. Then she turned her head to the side so she could gaze through the window. But due to her angle, she could only see a small section of the floor and the dilapidated corner of a cardboard box. She blinked and shifted to crunch lower watching her view tilt with the movement. It allowed her to see more floor, scattered boxes, and a closed door. When nothing came in or out of the room after 10 15 minutes, Jane rose slightly from her position. Had she missed her? Did she change rooms? At the thought, Jane eased out of the bushes and walked around the house gazing through windows, both on the first floor and in the basement. Finding still empty rooms, Jane stopped walking and turned to go back to her tree. The thing must have found a place to hide, something dragons were known to do. She would wait until it reemerged. Meanwhile, she would think.

* * *

Seras stilled looking at the open door in front of her while she focused her inner aura. For the last week, she had let her ki lie dormant as her powers recuperated from her bout in the cold. Now that she was preparing to change, testing the boundaries of her recovery, Seras thought to test her ki expanding abilities first. After all, they were the basis for all the other skills she needed for the change. Taking a few minutes, Seras gathered her life source feeling the warm glow of her aura ball itself into the palm of her mental hands. Hesitantly, she began to pull on the outside of the ball. When its sides stretched out, easily pliant, Seras sighed feeling the beginnings of relief and excitement course through her bones. She knew it wouldn't have taken long for her to heal.

The ball expanded further on her prompting until it filled the room exceeding just past the dingy walls that surrounded her. It was then that she felt the girl. Immediately, Seras turned to look at the window. The aura she could read indicated that the girl had just eased into the bushes and was lowering herself against the wall. Not pausing to think, Seras backed out of the room and used her mouth to close the door behind her. The door, though it gave her some trouble coming in, closed quickly and quietly, something for which Seras was ever grateful. For in moments, she could feel the distinct cold female aura crouch even lower and turn towards the room in front of her.

Turning around, Seras leaned back against the door. The house was being watched. Was it just for her or just for the family? Were they involved in something that she was unintentionally pulled into without prior warning? The thought made the steam excite in her stomach. She looked up the stairs trying to ignore the rising sense of foreboding familiarity she found in the aura. Did she know her? That fact was alarming, just as alarming as the fact that she couldn't recall a connection. Was she friend or foe? She didn't know and that bothered her.

Either way, knowing her or not, it was apparent that the girl had seen her in her true form and if she didn't leave, she would also see her in her human form as well. When her heart began to long for the cold bite of her missing seal, her mind hushed it. It reminded her that at least if the girl only saw her undisguised form, then she would not known the face she normally wore. She could use this to her advantage. There was hope.

Taking a breath, Seras slanted her eyes and looked at the small hallway around her. Though it was smaller than she liked, she decided to let her transformation happen here. Here, there were no windows or decorations to destroy, just doors that were easily replaced. It wasn't perfect, but it did provide the one essential need, privacy. For she was certain of one thing, she didn't want the girl to see it happen.

Once more, Seras gathered her aura together as she found the center spot in the room. The outer edge, which expanded around her 50 feet or so, she again pulled at making it expand to its normal distance. It easily covered a half a mile around the house. Absently during the process, she scanned for other auras. There was no one apart from the girl and the surrounding plant life, a few squirrels and a cow. This brought her some relief, one nuisance was enough.

Satisfied, the dragon pulled in her aura. She let it re-gather in the hands of her mind until she could feel a light pressure push back against her. Then, she squeezed it. In the dim light, Seras let her eyes close slightly as she focused on the warm pressure building in her chest. Quickly, it pushed up towards her throat, up the hostile contours of her face and muzzle. This was the hard part, but she was determined.

In an instant, Seras allowed her serpentine eyes to jerk open. They glared tensely in front of her though they saw nothing. Though she couldn't see them herself, she could feel them begin to glow with power as a foreign wind began to circle about her. It caused what little dust there was to move and dance in the air while her wings jerked and spread, her tail straightened and her back arched lifting like her scales. Using all her might, Seras mentally squeezed her aura while her head lifted and her lips parted. The near painful pressure forced her to bared razor sharp teeth and slick blackened gums. She screamed. Then at the height of the sensation, Seras felt something in her crash and shatter before the sound of sluggish oozing reached her ears.

Slowly, like lava over a hill, Seras felt her scales break from their holds before they fell and melted. Coagulating together one by one, they formed a thick inky liquid, thick like blood, like tar and brimstone melted in a sea of fire. It moved independently along her body forming skin, long legs, arms and hands, a small nose, gold eyes, spiky long black hair, toenails, fingernails, scars, and blue tattoos. Then out of the liquid darkness formed a black sleeveless gi and obi, long wide black hakama, sandals, and two swords, one silver and one black wrapped in heavy chains the color of steel. Then finally, after all of this, the liquid swirled unnoticed by the being huffing on her knees. It circled her back, disappearing into the large yin yang symbol etched elegantly on her gi hidden only by two large black wings and hair that hung limply over both.

Seras looked down and watched as her human hands the color of cream stretched wide over the cement floor. Her hair, her naturally black hair which turned blonde under her seal, cascaded about her shoulders unbound while the billowing fabric of her sleeves and pant-legs cloaked her. They painted the surrounding floor black in the limited light, a color that moved and changed as you stared at it.

Breathing heavily, Seras shook her head as she slowly began to rise to her feet. Pushing off the ground, her legs quaked slightly causing her to crash, shoulder first, into the door way. Luckily, it didn't cave. Her hand, which trembled visibly, grabbed onto the closest door knob as she used the wall for support. Gradually, the shaking diminished and she was able to let go. Determined, she stood straight. Then, taking a quick glance at the room around her, she sighed as relief flooded over her heart. Nothing was damaged. Satisfied, she turned to look up the steps before her. Could she climb them?

Unsure, Seras grabbed hold of the thin wobbly handrail, then took a step. Her body ached a little reminding her gently that she hadn't been in her human form for a week, that she had been sick; perhaps, sicker than she thought. Climbing the first step was hard. Yet, as she tackled the next, and then the next, up to the top of the stairs, Seras quickly found surety in her steps and strength in her bones. By the end, she was walking fine, though she could feel some fatigue quell itself in her lungs. She had slept for most of the week. She shouldn't be tired. Seras huffed softly feeling her steam warm the back of her throat.

Just as her hand touched the knob of the door to the living room, Seras stilled remembering the aura she had felt earlier. In all honesty, she knew that she didn't have the strength for a confrontation. She tapped a dirty short fingernail on the bronze colored, elegantly curved handle of the door knob. Once more, she let her aura expand searching to see if the thing had moved. It had.

* * *

Jane walked casually to her tree as she looked about the front yard. In time, her gaze slanted over towards the living room windows pondering the creature. What was it doing? How long was it staying? If it left, was she required to follow it?

Although the beginning of her curiosity was peaked, the reality of the situation quickly smothered that flame while igniting something else to grow in her heart. This flame had the possibility of growing into something large and wild if her suspicions were confirmed. Still, she kept on her path leading around the large estate to climb back into her tree. She knew Aro's desires.

Climbing up the trunk in a single leap, Jane grabbed hold of a branch and hefted herself over the thick limb easily. She would be obedient, as always. She would anticipate her Maker's wishes. He already knew her opinion on the matter. She had nothing to hide from him, nothing she COULD hide. Either way, this event put the Cullens on a line and she would do her duty to document it, then act as Aro saw fit. But for now, Jane thought tilting her head to the side as she leaned back towards the trunk, she would wait. She would watch.

* * *

The girl had moved, Seras confirmed. The aura, cold, angry and settled, hovered in the air 500 feet away in one of the nearby trees towards the front of the house. Automatically, Seras turned her head towards the location though she could see nothing in the alcove, but wooden walls and plaster. The girl was located where all the biggest windows were. Again, her mind questioned over the length of time the girl had been spying on the family and over whether they knew. Seras's fingers tapped a steady staccato on the door knob. Then, she gritted her teeth. Had she seen her? She would see her.

Recognizing that she had no choice, Seras tightened her hand along the delicate handle before she quickly jerked the door open. Stepping outside into the living room, feeling the soft Persian carpeting crumple under her sandals, Seras tried to not stiffen under the girl's piercing scrutiny. Making a swift decision, she walked quickly across the living room, pass the arm-chair, the piano, and the office, to turn sharply at the stairs. She climbed them one by one, one at a time while her wings stayed locked to her back, their clawed thumbnails clutching tightly to her shoulders. Out of a sense of normalcy, she let her hand rest on the railing as she turned right at the midway point before climbing up the rest of the way. This time, she ignored the balcony view and the temptation to look out the window to stare directly into the forest. Instead, she gracefully rounded the second corner. Then relaxed once she was finally hidden behind the second floor's dividing wall, hidden in the shadows where the girl could not see. Pausing only to reevaluate the girl's position, which hadn't change, Seras walked down the now familiar hallway towards the doctor's office. When she passed one of the decorations on the wall, Seras slumped as she paused once more to gaze into the thick bronze frame.

It was a small mirror hung in such a way that she could only see her face and shoulders. In the silence, Seras looked into the silver glass and stared at herself. Criticism crinkling her brow, the golden hue irises of the girl inside it looked back at her sparking and squinting before they moved to scan over Seras's cream colored skin, over the dark blue tattoos that streaked jaggedly across her cheeks and the crescent moon etched boldly across her forehead. They were marks of another age, another time that Seras couldn't think about without her heart aching in return. So much had happened.

Casually, Seras lifted long piano fingers to her forehead to caress the soft skin under her black bangs. Then they detoured to the left to comb through the thick hair that cascaded untamable along the sides of her ears. Seras blinked and shifted her stance as she mourned the temporary lost of her blonde hair. For nearly 300 years, she had constantly worn her disguise, since the war that had cruelly divided the world. Since then, she had come to relate more to that form than to her true one. That fit her. The blonde spiked hair, the carefree smile, and boyish determination. Not this haunted personality ruled and judged by the scars she carried for all to see.

Allowing a small, barely audible whimper to break through her lips, Seras crunched her hair between her fingers. Abruptly, she jerked them down as she bowed her head. The she rested them against the wall along each side of the mirror. She took her time to breathe and think.

She needed to leave. She needed to cover herself, her markings, her scars. They were all reminders of things she, herself, didn't want to look at. Her mind twirling in thought, Seras backed away from the wall as she looked at the bedrooms surrounding her. The vision couple and the greedy ones – Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett - lived on this level while Edward and Bella, the pup, lived upstairs with the coven leader and his wife. She wondered how much stuff they had left behind. She needed make up and clothes. She stretched her wings and corrected herself. She needed clothes that fit.

Seras eyed the bedroom down the hall near the stairs where Emmett and Rosalie stayed. Cautiously, she bit her lip. His clothes would be big enough to hide her wings and her pants would probably fit her. Out of everyone, Emmett was the biggest, and Rosalie, her body, was closest to her own being bigger in height and weight than any of the other women. She was also runner-up to having the most make-up. Alice being the first, Seras figured as she walked confidently back down the hallway, purposely ignoring the aura that still pulled at her senses.

THAT had to be addressed.

Reaching the white-painted door, Seras grabbed the cold knob and pushed it open slowly. Out of everyone, the only bedrooms she had seen were Bella's and Alice's, and that was only briefly. She knew she was unwelcomed by one or more of the inhabitants and thus didn't stay long. But sneaking into this one, Seras moved forward delicately knowing that she could be discovered. She would be. When did he say that they would return? Could they smell her even hours later? She didn't know. Seras's eyebrows lowered over her golden eyes as she gingerly walked into the dark room.

It was clean though a tad unkempt. That, the dark colors, and the slightly masculine feel to each piece of furniture, from the bed down to the black computer and desk in the corner, fit the owners like cake and ice cream, one particularly. She needed to sit down and focus on this group. She hadn't spent enough time with this species before. Her curiosity was peaked, if just for the time being.

Not wanting to stay for too long, Seras walked over to the rather large closet and pried the folding doors open. She stilled as she took in the vast array of clothing before her. Blinking uncertain, she tried not to wonder at how the male was able to have nearly as many clothes as the female. _How many hoodies did the guy need?_

Bewildered, Seras dug into the long line of navy, black, and red sweatshirts as she looked for one that suited her interests. They were all from various high schools and colleges that she had only vaguely heard of. Some, she never heard of at all. Not finding one that particularly pulled at her, she grabbed one for Michigan State and pulled it off the hanger only to let it fall carelessly onto the floor. Stepping back, she looked down at it for a moment. She paused. Now, she needed pants and some make up. Hopefully, the sweatshirt would fit. Not wanting to wear just that, she also grabbed one of his sleeveless Ts and threw it onto the blue and white hoodie. Then she looked up at the alarm clock that sat beside the bed behind her. It was nearly 3pm. Carlisle said he would be back by 8. She had five hours… less. He would call, she knew this.

Quickly, she flittered through Rosalie's jeans, there were not much left, and grabbed a simple pair. Again, she threw them onto the shirt pile. Then she closed the folding doors and backed up to where the large dresser vanity was lining the wall along the side of the bed. One by one, she opened drawers finding most of them filled with underwear, shirts, trinkets, socks, and appliances. But nowhere did she find make up or an old foundation set. Looking up at the mirror across from her, Seras bit her lip once more. She wondered if the others had taken the rest of their make up as well. She turned to look at the pile of clothes behind her and jerked the drawer shut.

A few minutes later, Seras walked gracefully out of the room wearing her new get-up. Her wings were effectively covered under the bulky sweater. She had to rip the tank top, but since the guy had so many, she wondered if he would actually notice one missing. The jeans were a bit snug, but they would do. With her gi and hakama folded in her arms and her swords tucked safely under her armpits, Seras walked back down the hall towards Carlisle's office. Using the tip of her toes, still wearing the tong sandals, Seras kicked the door open and walked towards the couch.

Bending slightly at the knees, she deposited the clothing onto the seat of the couch. Then, she retrieved her swords from under her arm feeling the weight of both rest in her hands. Seras pondered leaving them behind. She didn't want to, but with her seal gone she knew she had no choice. With a heavy heart, Seras turned towards the desk and placed both of them on top of it. They would be safe, Seras reasoned. She hoped.

With that she backed away and turned to leave the room. Re-entering the hallway, she turned to regard the second set of stairs that rose to the third floor. She didn't want to waste time looking for make-up when she was planning on buying some anyway. Lifting her hood so that it covered her face, engulfing it in shadows, Seras walked down the hall towards the first floor. Looking out the window, she looked to the sky. It was getting dark and rain clouds were gathering. Good, those would be to her advantage.

Patting herself down just to make sure she could feel the wad of bills in her back pocket and the familiar weight of the coin in front, Seras moved forward towards the front door. She purposely pushed all thoughts of Carlisle's warnings aside. Then she jerked the thing open and stepped out. Immediately, her gold iris's connected with the cold ruby glint of another's.

* * *

**Okay, ladies and gentlemen, here's chapter eight. **

**The chapters are getting longer. I don't know why and I don't know if its a good sign or not. Oh well. **

**As always, I hope you enjoy it. **


	9. Chapter Nine: Out of the House

Charlie Swan was only drinking bad coffee, when a shadow crossed his vision. He discovers that Forks has welcomed a stranger, but with the rise of a serial killer, he is suspicious. She is not what she seems.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Nine: **

**Out of the House, of Police Cars and Spies**

**********Disclaimer: As always, though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

* * *

Amon Midori was fixing his tie when he first spotted the report on the news that evening. He had casually strolled through his tiny suburban living room, when he spotted the human male out of the corner of his eye. Pausing, he turned to stare at his tiny little screen. The small black box sat alone in a tiny little corner next to his small little window. Under the tinted glass, the elegantly dressed newscaster wore the same cobalt suit and burgundy red necktie as his audience member. He began to disclose the story. It seemed to be an update on a recent case. Amon's eyebrows furrowed as his fingers worked clumsily wrapping one insufferable panel over the other. How had he not seen this before? The small little man with green hair and light brown freckles let his semi-complicated actions filter into the background. His violet eyes flashed in the glowing light of his television.

"In breaking news today," the familiar, yet nameless face of the reporter spoke, "there has been another attack performed by the serial killer now known as The West Coast Family Slayer. Four year old Ichigo Misa and her parents, Jason and Nina Misa, were all found murdered in their three bedroom ranch just outside of Seattle. They were discovered this morning by their neighbor Julian Pearson, an elderly woman in her late 80s. According to Police Officials, this was the 27th attack in the past four months. It is believed to be done by one man who has run from authorities up and down the west coast through a total of 8 states."

Instantly, the image of the man cut to a recorded video of a woman with red hair and green eyes. She wore a black police uniform with the letters FBI written on her left shoulder. Her hair was tucked up into a neat tight bun and her eyes were serious. They were aged and drawn probably from the horrors she has seen in her short years on the job.

Amon pooh-poohed, a sound that was a cross between a chirp and a sigh. _Poor thing_, he thought. She looked too young to be dealing with this type of crime. Then, he caught glimpse of the dull silver earring clipped to the top of her ear. He also noticed the two red parentheses tattooed on the side of her neck. His pity stopped cold. His eyes grew hard. He stopped tying his tie. "Honey," he yelled out, calling for his wife and mate.

Yunna Midori, a stout woman with brunette hair and hazel green eyes, walked out of the kitchen to stand next to her husband. "What is it, dear," she asked softly looking at the TV. Briefly, her eyes flicked to the clock at the bottom corner. 9pm, it was almost time to go. She looked at the newscast while she fixed an earring. She watched it flash images of children and parents. Their names were written under them along with dates. Her mouth dipped into a frown. In the background, she could hear a woman's voice drone curtly.

"We do not mean to alarm, or scare the populace over these incidences, but the people need to be informed. Danger is currently surrounding them." The picture cut back to the FBI agent. "This man is dangerous. He targets specific victims normally living in a three person household, though he has on occasion attacked larger families. Keep your eye out for suspicious looking individuals; strangers doing strange things. And as always, if you know something – anything - please give us a call. Thank you."

Immediately, a journalist cut in. "Are you saying that the police do not know what this guy looks like?"

The woman blinked and looked at the man calmly. She nodded solemnly. "I wish we could tell you more, but this individual has left no survivors or witnesses alive to tell us how he breaks in or why. Neighbors have also been oblivious to the situation, even though the acts are gruesome in nature. "

"What do you mean by gruesome. Can you tell us more?" Another voice cut in.

"Without going into too many details, each victim was stabbed and cut multiple times. Then, they were beaten to death. Others, mainly the children, were strangled or cut."

"What about murder weapons?" A camera flashed.

"All murders were done using household items that belonged to the victims. Other than that, I cannot comment further."

Another reporter cut in, "All this information, the public knows from previous reports. Is there anything new you can tell us?"

"Anything else is confidential." The woman's tone was firm and immovable. "This conference, as stated before, was put together so that the public could be made aware of the dangers. I would like to remind you, on behalf of the FBI that we are on the job. Every day, we are working the best we can to find the person behind this, to bring him to justice, and punish him adequately."

The report cut back to the studio. The newscaster grabbed his stack of papers and tapped the edges on his desk. He leaned forward and shifted in his chair. His expression was grim. "That's all the authorities would tell us of the case so far, but here is what you need to know…" As the man began to read off the information, each point was bulleted on the screen.

Amon shook his head and turned to his wife. She carefully memorized the number on the bottom. "That was addressed specifically to youkai wasn't it?" The woman looked up at her husband and immediately removed her hand from her earring. She turned to fix his tie.

The Chameleon Demon sighed and looked down at his wife. She tucked and pulled at the silky fabric before removing the silver pin that balanced hazardously between his fingers. His frown crinkled the skin around his mouth. "I'm afraid so. That woman was a youkai."

"Seattle is not that far from here," Yunna stated absently. "Should we be worried?"

The youkai blinked and looked down the hall. The one that led to thin green hair, big hazel eyes, and the subtle sounds of deep and even snoring.

"Maybe, we shouldn't go tonight."

"No," Amon said. His eyes drifted back to the simple gaze of his human wife. "We won't be gone long and if something happened, I would save both of you. We will be fine."

Yunna nodded tentatively. With steady hands, she forced the tiny pin through the crisp folds of her husband's necktie. Then, she closed the clasp and stepped back.

Smiling shyly, she watched him in sheer amazement. His hair turned dark, his skin paled, and his eyes dulled; the irises turning a simpler shade of green, which neither lost their piercing or attractive quality. She held her breath. This was her favorite part, even though she had seen it hundreds of times. She was still taken back by the magic. For the hundredth time since their marriage, Amon sent his mate a knowing glance and for the hundredth time, she blushed under it. He smirked and reached over to tilt her head. He was about to lean in for a kiss, when a soft bell chimed throughout the house.

Awkwardly, his wife blushed deeper and stepped away mumbling something about the babysitter. Amon huffed and drew away letting his wife scurry to the door. As he listened to the commotion ruffling up from his kitchen, Amon turned back to his tiny television. It was now showing a commercial for soap. He sighed. They would be fine, he repeated to himself. Uncertain, he shook his head and turned away. As he walked into his kitchen, he grabbed his keys from the table in the hallway. He needed to greet his guest.

The demoness was lovely to look at, even more so when she turned off her seal, twisting the small ring on her thumb. But then again, he thought. For them, beauty was nothing uncommon.

The lady bowed. Then, as custom dictated, she turned her head to the side revealing a slender throat with freckles. There was a slight shading of green on her skin that blended seamlessly into her hair line. Her hair was also green. She was a chameleon demon like he. She also came highly recommended on the site he found her. She was well qualified, a tutor/teacher with a clean background. The man grunted allowing the demoness to rise before him. She smiled softly. "You have everything you need?"

The woman nodded. "Don't worry, Mr. Midori. Your daughter is safe with me. She should be sleeping, anyway. Nothing should happen; unless she sleepwalks, of course."

Amon lifted an eyebrow, while his wife laughed nervously.

The woman laughed the sound ringing like a chime on the wind. It automatically made Amon relax, but only slightly. Using an online babysitter was his wife's idea. He wasn't completely against it, but he wasn't comfortable either. Yet, he had given in. He did not want to be unsupportive of his wife's rare and sometimes vexing ideas. So, he had looked himself and eventually found someone he approved of. This was the girl's third visit and though some moments were awkward, Amon couldn't deny he wasn't pleased with the arrangement. She was youkai and unbiased, caring for his daughter in spite of her hanyou status. He sighed. Then, he bowed back to the woman.

"Then, we shall depart. The banquet will run late, but we will be back by dawn. We will pay you when we return." After putting on his coat, which hung by the wall, Amon lifted his arm. Steadily, he watched his wife as she walked over to him fixing the zipper on her own. Then, she grasped him by the elbow. Together, the two walked towards the kitchen door that led to the driveway outside.

"Sayonara." The woman bowed once again before following the couple out of the house. Grasping the door between her thin fingers, she watched with glittering yellow green eyes as the couple climbed into their car and drove away. At the corner they waved, and she waved back. Then, when she could see them no longer, she closed the door and turned the lock. The sound of it slinking shut made her smile.

* * *

Officer Charlie Swan sat comfortably in his police car scrunched between the steering wheel, his seat, and the driver's side door. He crumpled his nose making his mustache tickle his upper lip. Slowly, he lifted a darkly tanned hand and rubbed the offended area briefly before stiffly wrapping his cold fingers around his lukewarm coffee cup. It was half empty, proof that he'd been nursing it for the last hour. Taking a sip, he instantly coughed feeling the now vile substance tickle the opening of his trachea. Perhaps it was two hours. It tasted like two.

Covering his mouth, the coughs rose and fell like a heart beat on a monitor. As they gentled, he gazed out of his windshield. He stared watery eyed at the people walking around him. It was cold and rainy; the first glimpse at a spring shower that made the citizens of Forks double over under their umbrellas while their boots sloshed through the snow. The snow was left over from the storm a week prior and it was no longer white and fluffy. It was now disgusting, nothing, but coffee brown mush. "Coffee, huh?" Swan grunted. He took another sip and made a face. Why was he drinking this?

It was there, at the crossroads where his desire to stay in his car met the desire for more coffee, that he noticed something large darken across his peripheral vision. He paused mid sip and looked over the foam lid of his 20 ouncer. Rain speckled the angled glass of his windshield causing the store lights from across the street to spark and blur. He squinted. Then, he rubbed the short stiff stubs of the slowly growing hair on his cheek. He needed to shave. Reaching over, he turned on the windshield wipers. They immediately perked, swinging left, right and left again; back and forth like Poe's notorious pendulum. When it cleared, Officer Swan straightened and leaned over the steering wheel, staring at the source of the shadow.

A girl, or what looked to be a girl, walked by his car slouched over in the rain. She wore tight blue jeans and an incredulously large black and white hoodie. Huffing and shaking his head, Officer Swan leaned back watching her cross the street and jog casually through the store's parking lot. The hood sagged sadly over her head, nearly engulfing it whole.

Tapping his fingers randomly against the side of his cup, Charlie squinted. He watched the girl. She quickly walked towards the store's entrance before pausing mid-step. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she backtracked and stopped before the blue metal newspaper rack. She bent down, looked at the paper, and then immediately began to fish through her pockets, looking as if for change. When none could be found, she slouched and walked away. Her head occasionally looked back, her hood pointed wistfully at the little blue box.

For a moment, Officer Swan looked at the entrance of the grocery store. He knew what was on the cover of that paper. He was aware of the story long before the writer ever began to write it. Looking down at his coffee cup, he scrunched his nose. He could use another.

* * *

Seras walked into the grocery store head down, shoulders slumped with a lot on her mind. Just inside the doors, she stopped and let her golden eyes take in the large warehouse like building. It was decorated extravagantly with tan colored tiles, large stocked shelves and people rushing to and fro. They didn't seem to care about anything. Not the rain or the snow, or the girl that stood lost in the entrance. She was soaked, her borrowed hoodie heavy with water from the sudden down pour. Water dripped from the top edge of the hood and fell carelessly onto her cheek. She brushed it off with the back of her hand. Then, she felt something hard run into her from behind.

Quickly, she looked behind her catching only briefly the hard eye of an elderly man with a fedora. He just glared and pursed his lips. "You shouldn't stand in doors! People need to get by," he said gruffly. He pushed his cart to the left where the fruits and vegetables were stacked in brightly colored rows.

Seras glared back. She could hear him muttering under his breath, something degrading about careless young people. Offended, she shoved her hands into the large soaked pocket of her hoodie. _I'm older that your great-grandmother, _she thought viciously.

Angered and slightly annoyed, Seras stomped through the aisles of the rather large shopping center looking high and low for the cosmetic section. She passed through the fruit section ,glaring stupidly at the man in the fedora, then the seafood section, the aisle for pasta, Mexican stuff, bread, cereal, juice, paper products, and then - she smiled - toothpaste, soap and makeup. Highly pleased, the girl detoured down the femininely decorated little alley sporting black and pink plastic labels with pokadots and CoverGirl advertisements. She was only vaguely aware of the two pairs of eyes that watched her movements from behind.

Reaching the mid-way point, Seras paused to look out over the long row of makeup. She carefully eyed every shade, type and brand there was. Powdered, liquid, mineral, bottled, caked, foam. She blinked. _It came in foam? _She picked up a can and shook it. Then, she brought it to her face so she could read the label. SPF_100, eggshell beige, shade 63_. She hummed. It looked to be her skin color. Could she test it? Seras shifted her weight from her left foot to her right, while her hands flittered with the top. Yet, before she could snap the clear plastic off, she was surprised to see a hand shoot by her head. Clumsily, it landed on the shelf before her, nearly knocking a few of the little black cases off of their neat tiny rows.

Taking a breath, Seras folded her lips together between her teeth before she looked down at the hand. Slowly, she allowed her eyes to travel up the crinkly tan sleeve of a man's winter hunting jacket to a broad shoulder, dark 5 hour shadow, thick lips, red nose, pimples, red blotchy complexion, thick brown eyebrows, and brown matte eyes. The thing - she refused to call it anything else - wore a red baseball cap with the words "Shoot Dear" embroidered on the bill. Seras rolled her eyes under her still dripping hood. The boy only smirked and then wheezed ungracefully.

"Hey," he said.

Seras lifted an eyebrow.

"You look new." He stopped to wheeze and Seras just stared.

_You've got to be kidding._

"I don't [wheeze] think I've [wheeze] seen [wheeze] you…"

Her hand tightened around the foundation can. _You've got to be kidding._

Then, she noticed a warm breath breathe roughly down her neck. The hand tightened further.

"Of course, you haven't seen her," another voice interrupted. It was nasally and coarse, rough like sandpaper on iron. Seras flinched as he spoke. He was loud too. "She's new like that other chick that showed up here a year ago. Aren't you, sweetie? But you're better than her, aren't you?" He chortled making his bad breath tickle her nose. Seras grimaced. It reeked.

Lifting both eyebrows, Seras turned to look at the second man who flanked her other side. He was like the other boy; young - maybe 18 - a husky build with freckles and greasy, curly blonde hair. He had an empty basket in his hand filled with cut coupons. The boy leaned across her as he spoke to his friend, uncaring that she was stuck in the middle. Seras gritted her teeth grateful that the hoodie's shadows covered her pointed fangs. _YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!_

The boy smiled showing one dirty yellow tooth in the midst of two rows of white. "I should know," he said, switching the basket from his left hand to his right. "I would have noticed this ass anywhere." As the line indicated, the blonde moron raised his hand and promptly delivered to Seras's right butt cheek a solid, flirtatious smack that made her jump.

Huffing, Seras regathered her stance and then turned to glare at the man… boy… thing that had hit her. Her mouth twisted into a deep frown and her eyes sparked in anger. Even in the darkness of her hood, the fat moron could clearly see their depths glow slightly.

The moron stopped speaking mid-sentence, even while his partner laughed stupidly in the background. For a second, the two stared at each other. Then, the moron smirked. It was a mistake, but he didn't know it. He was waiting for it, the scoff of offensive female emotion, the high and loud squeak, even the light girly slap to his cheek. In fact, he wanted it. It was all part of the fun, you see. He had done it before. He dreamed of it nightly. However, even as his smile grew and his eye sparked in cocky humor, he was not prepared for reality. Not in the way Seras made it.

Seras sighed. She casually pocketed the makeup can. Then she punched him. Hard. She promptly introduced her fist to the right side of his face. Hard enough, that the guy's head snapped to the left. His cheek fat squished like a deflated water balloon smashed by the iron stone that was her fist. The momentum drove the man face first to the ground, his spit trailing after him like midst on the breeze. It sparkled prettily in the harsh florescent lighting before it fell to the floor beside him; one drop, two drops, a dozen. And then, there was silence.

The aftermath, that blessed wake of frozen stillness was brief; a beat, a second, nothing more. Then reality broke.

The fat man on the floor began to wail, kicking his legs and wiggling his body like a choking fish. One that was about to die. Seras rolled her eyes. All she did was punch him. She shrugged, then the other guy snapped out of his coma.

He cried out, then roughly pushed Seras to the side as he rushed to calm his friend. When he kneeled, he put a hand on the boy's shoulder, quickly causing him to still and whimper quietly. Then, he lifted angry brown eyes trying to bore into Seras's, looking unsuccessfully under her hood. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You could have seriously hurt him, you bitch! I'm calling the cops. We're so reporting you."

"You don't have to." A voice intervened from the end of the aisle. "I saw the whole thing."

Immediately, all three individuals looked up and turned towards the voice. The scruffy looking man dressed in police navy blues stood behind the two boys. He stood casually with a newspaper folded calmly under his arm. He was thin and scrawny. His shoulders were bony, even with the added padding of his heavy winter jacket and the walkie-talkie locked onto his left deltoid. He had a rough five hour shadow, the stereotypical Burt Reynolds mustache, and chocolate brown eyes that starred pointedly at the boys on the ground. They were narrowed with a mixture of frustration and exasperation.

"Jason Hoyt, Benjamin Bradley will you please get up. And you can stop your blabberin', Bradley; she didn't hit you that hard."

Seras snorted, Benjamin whimpered and Jason stumbled to his feet. _Yes, she[I] did_, they all thought in unison. No one spoke.

"You are free to go, ma'am," the Officer said nodding past him towards the cash registers.

Seras swallowed and hesitated for a moment. Then, she gingerly stepped over the guy still lying on the ground. She walked down the aisle, then turned left aiming for one of the vacant self-service registers. As she scanned and paid for the makeup, she tried to ignore the people staring at the back of her cloth covered head, and the voice that flittered through the store. "Boys, why would you go and do that? The grocery store is no place to pick up a girl. You deserve what you got!" Blushing, she quickly inserted her money.

Suddenly, a whispery laugh drowned out the rest of the lecture. Recognizing the voice, Seras reluctantly turned to regard the elderly gentleman from before. His smile was broad and toothless. "You gave them what for. Very good!"

Seras blinked, then she quickly grabbed the foundation can, her receipt, change and left. She felt that the slick closing of the automatic door wasn't sufficient enough to express what she was feeling.

* * *

_What is wrong with these people?_

Seras walked down a semi vacant side road, while her thoughts whirled untamed in her mind. Between her issues with the Cullens and that last - whatever that was - at the grocery store, Seras seriously wondered how she had stumbled into this place. What did Carlisle call the town? Forks, WA? She grimaced, who would name a town that? She stopped walking. _Probably the same guy who thought Bath was a good name for a city, too._ She groaned and shook her head, expelling all thoughts of the England city. Immediately, other thoughts invaded, thoughts of a certain blonde vampire filled the crevices of her mind.

Seras looked down at the road and tapped her foot. Her fingers ghosted over the smooth make-up can in the pocket of her hoodie. In an instant, the confrontation replayed itself in her mind, the thousandth time in that hour.

She had opened the front door and immediately, though the distance was great, she had locked eyes with the girl, the nameless spy that hovered in a tree. Both had frozen. Both stared; one with surprised anger, the other with cautious suspicion. Nothing else happened, but the message had clearly been exchanged. The girl then vanished headed east, while Seras looked towards the direction she flew. Apprehensive, her mind pondered over the last sneer the girl had left her with.

The shining glare of headlights headed towards her brought Seras back to reality. She looked up at the sky. It wasn't raining anymore, but it was still cloudy. The sky was getting dark as night approached. When the car drove by, Seras pulled out her receipt to catch the time. She added an hour. It was around five. She needed to get back to the house.

When the car turned off the street, Seras turned around and headed back down the road. She had been wandering aimlessly for the pleasure of it and to think things through. She was pleased to be in her skin again. She was pleased to be outdoors. She had missed the earth and the sky. She wished it wasn't so cloudy, perhaps she could have seen the moon. That thought barely left her mind, when she noticed a slow moving cop car turn down the street in front of her. She froze. Cautiously, she watched it drive past her, turn around and head back in her direction. She bit her lip and began to walk.

The car pulled alongside her. It advanced slowly matching her pace. Seras turned her head, silently watching the window closest to her lower itself. It quickly revealed an empty passenger seat and the cop from the store sitting on the driver's side. He looked at her cautiously and she raised an eyebrow back at him, knowing that he couldn't see it.

"Hey!" He said.

Seras just watched him and kept walking.

"You're new here, right?"

She still didn't answer. How they could tell this so easily was completely beyond her.

Though she ignored him, the cop still kept walking the car. His head bobbed, swiveling left and right between watching her and the road.

"Listen. Those boys didn't mean any harm. They like getting a rise out of teasing girls. You are not the first. You know how boys are."

Seras sighed and nodded. She played with the makeup can between her fingers. She rubbed her thumbs over the smooth edge of the label. It was purple, she remembered.

"We're not all like that. People here in Forks, I mean. They're ok. Don't think bad about us." He looked earnestly at her. The conversation was awkward. He could feel it, but he did have a purpose. He looked down at the newspaper lying on the seat next to him. He licked his lips and then looked back up at her. The girl's hood still stayed firmly in place. She still continued to walk down the street. She didn't even look over at him either, just kept walking. He almost thought to drive off, but he plowed ahead anyway. "Do you have a name?"

The girl's steady rhythm hiccuped before her head turned to regard him. The shift in the hood's shadows only gave him a vague outline of her face. She looked back towards the road. "Seras Victoria," she said softly. Her voice was of medium pitch and had a lyrical quality that almost made him smile. She also had an accent, a telling British lilting that made her words graceful as they tumbled from her lips. Officer Swan was taken back. He wasn't expecting it.

In the waiting silence that threatened to turn the conversation even more vexing, Officer Swan fumbled as he reached over to grab the newspaper from the other seat. "My name…" He breathed and stretched, catching the thickly folded newsprint between his first and second fingers. He hefted it, but then it slipped back down to the seat, sliding easily between them. "My name," he tried again, "is Charlie Swan." At her nod, he was encouraged. "I was just on patrol, well; I was taking a break, drinking coffee, when I noticed you walk by the car." Again, he reached over and successfully grabbed the newspaper by the last page. He lifted it up and straightened his spine. "You caught my eye and I watched you cross the street and look at the news rack. You didn't have change to buy it?" He blinked. "Anyway, I noticed you didn't have change to buy it." He continued quickly noticing that she turned once again towards him. "I noticed and bought you one on my way to purchase more… um coffee, that is. I would have given it to you in the store, but well, you know. Do you want to look? Do you need a ride?" He pushed down on the breaks, stopping the car as the girl stopped walking. Officer Swan didn't smile; he just lifted the newspaper through the window with a look of slight concern.

Seras looked down at the sagging newsprint. With the way he offered it, the front page was on the bottom. All she could see was the black and blue advertisement for cars and trucks at certain prices. After a moment, she nodded and took the paper from his hand. Then, she opened the car's door and slid in. Her weight and wet clothes made the leather seats squeak underneath her. She winced. She wondered if he would be upset. Without even taking a glance at the man next to her, Seras unfolded the paper and looked at the title on the front page. She had read it once, but she wanted to do it again, to look more closely at the pictures underneath it.

During this time, Charlie Swan leaned back in his seat and watched the girl get comfortable on her side of the car. His mind worked meticulously as he watched her open the paper and stare at the cover. He leaned forward and turned on the interior reading lights, which were housed under the rear view mirror. Then when the orange-yellow glow broke through the slight darkness, he reached over further to crank the heat.

The girl paused in her reading before looking over at him. He caught the movement and shifted in his seat. Then, his eyebrows furrowed. "You're too comfortable," he stated.

The girl looked at him from under her hood. Her mouth moved as if she licked her lips, or bit them. He didn't know which. Then, she spoke. The words broke the silence slowly, like a sprinkling of rain on the cement around them. "I've been in one before," she said. As he turned to regard the cage behind him, the girl quickly shook her head, making the fabric of her hood flutter and spray a few raindrops. "I have a friend that's a cop," she said adamantly. "I've… sat in his car a couple of times."

"He's not supposed to do that," the man replied, turning back towards her. "And how am I supposed to believe you when you are constantly hiding your face?"

The girl stuttered. "I just came from a party and I um… " Inwardly, Seras winced. She hated lying. "They… um."

The officer smirked. "What did they do? Draw on your face?" He laughed softly and then coughed as the silence dragged on. Apparently, that was what had happened. He hummed and tried again, "Why don't you take it down, huh? It can't be that bad."

The girl sighed before refolding the newspaper and placing it on her lap. She raised her fingers to her hood. "You promise you won't laugh," she asked.

The man nodded and watched her. There was something in her voice that took the amusement out of the situation. Somehow, he knew she was lying. He let his arms rest on the top of the steering wheel before he urged her on with a flick of his fingers. "I promise," he murmured.

Under his careful scrutiny, Seras grabbed hold of her hood and began to lower it. She wondered if even the human could hear her heart beating.

When it finally rested comfortably around her neck and down her back, the man's eyes scanned over the dark hair that further hid her face from view. He memorized the shade and the thick spiky texture. He wished he could take a picture, but that was until she turned to regard him. Then, he couldn't remember anything.

She was exquisite. Her skin was pale, a stark contrast from the dark hair that framed a face that was small and soft. What drew his gaze the most, though, were her eyes with their familiar golden hue and the blue markings on her skin. She had two jagged stripes on her cheeks and a clearly drawn, elegant navy blue moon resting just above her eyebrows. Officer Swan shook his head. He knew why the girl was worried, but still he couldn't shake the feeling that the markings fit her somehow. In the low light, they looked like real tattoos. Was it special paint?

The girl nodded and he swallowed. Had he said that out loud?

When she nodded again, this time lowering her head to stare at her fingers, he licked his lips. He looked away.

"Are they that bad," she asked softly.

"No," he said quickly, maybe a little too quickly. He leaned forward and put the car in park. Then he stepped off the brake. "They look really well done. Whoever did it certainly didn't do it out of spite."

"No," she said, her eyes not moving away from her hands. "He didn't do it out of spite. I …" then she paused. "I lost a bet." She looked out her window and Officer Swan watched her in silence. That was another lie. There was a story behind the markings, and suddenly, he found himself wanting to hear it. Yet, as he looked down at the digital clock on his radio - it was 5:15pm - he knew they didn't have time.

Exhaling loudly, the man shifted in his seat. Then, he turned off the lights and put the car back in drive. "Well, whatever it is, I don't think your relatives would be too upset. They seem like descent people."

Seras blinked and then turned to look at him. Her eyes were wide. "My relatives?" Her voice sounded a little high, even to her own hearing.

The man chuckled and stepped on the gas letting the car begin to ease forward. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. Your eyes gave you away." He pulled into one of the driveways on the street and turned around. "You're family is strange. None of you look alike, but you all have the same golden brown eyes, which I have never seen before. No one else has them," he said. He watched her periodically while he drove back onto Main Street. "You're a Cullen, right?"

Seras's eyebrows leveled over her eyes. Humans had terrible senses. Her eyes were not like theirs. They were yellower. And didn't she say that her last name was Victoria? Apparently, someone wasn't listening. But then, she thought, the man had thrown her a boon. She would take advantage of it.

Catching the look in her eye, the man gazed back, eyebrows raised. "Did I say something wrong?"

Seras opened her mouth and then shut it. She shook her head and fiddled with the newspaper. "No, Car-Carlisle is my Uncle. I'm visiting."

He lowered an eyebrow leaving the other raised. He squinted. That was another lie. If he wasn't her uncle, then what was he? For a few minutes, Charlie drove in silence, thoughts racing over the girl. Even though, he performed poorly on the conversational end, he did pride himself on trusting his intuition. He could read people really well. It was what made him a good cop. Yet, with this girl, he was confused. She lied about the markings. She lied about her connection with the group she was staying with. The only reason that he was confident that she was staying with them at all was the fact that she knew the doctor's name. But he, he recalled, was well known around the town. He eyed the girl and drove towards the outskirts of the small town. She was watching the houses go by.

"Have you…" he started, then stopped. She looked at him. "Bella," it was worth the shot. "Do you know how she's doing?" His voice was shaking, he could hear it.

Seras lifted an eyebrow wondering how the cop knew the pup. Yet, as she took careful stock of his face in the passing light of the street lamps, she could see the slight resemblance. "You're her father," she stated. She touched her nose. "She has yours."

The man's smile was soft and slightly relieved.

"And your eyes."

"I'm afraid that's all she got. Everything else belongs to her mother," he sighed.

"Including the clumsy streak?"

Here, he laughed outright. His shoulders relaxed fully. Yeah, she knew her. "No, that's me too, I believe."

"Ah." Seras turned back to look out her window. "She is doing okay, I suppose. Everybody, but Carlisle and I, went out to visit her mother I believe. They are also stopping by some colleges on the way. I don't know how many you could go through in two days, but her husband was very adamant on the matter. I was told that they should be back late this evening."

"I see. She had mentioned something of the sort," he said. "That's good. Renee loves Edward. She was more supportive of the wedding than I ever was."

"They are pretty young," Seras sympathized.

"Are they doing okay?" His voice was soft, hesitant as if waiting for a knowing rejection.

They hadn't let him near her? Seras questioned. She understood the reasons why, but it was heartbreaking to see him stumbling in the dark. The girl was his daughter. She wondered how much she was allowed to speak of the issue. She took a breath. "They are learning to get used to living with each other." She spoke the words carefully not saying anything, but saying everything.

For Officer Swan, it was enough. They were fighting. He sighed. He had seen it coming. As they pulled onto a highway leading into the country, Officer Swan found himself hoping that Carlisle would be home when he reached the Cullen household. He wanted to talk. He looked at the clock, it was 5:25pm. They would be there in 10 minutes. Was he working?

He looked over at the girl next to him. She was once again perusing the paper. His curiosity peaked. "So, what do you think of that?"

"Think of what?" Seras answered, slightly distracted.

"The case."

"The killings?" Seras looked up at him. Then, she looked back to the front page, the words "West Coast Family Slayer kills again!" burning in her mind. "It's unfortunate for the families. Personally, I find it alarming that the guy was able to get in and out of the homes without anyone noticing, especially when the murders were so violent. This is just my opinion, though, based only on what the press was able to release. You know, there's got to be more to it. I just hope they catch the guy."

"I do too."

Seras heard his sigh, but she didn't react. A thought shook her and she slanted her eyes over to the cop next to her. It took him a minute before he noticed her staring. It made him uneasy. "What?" he asked. He sounded defensive. He hated it.

Seras narrowed her eyes. "You didn't think that I was the killer, did you?" her voice was calm. Yet, it was accusing.

It didn't bother him in the least. He wiped his sweating palms on his pants. "Well," he began hesitantly. "The thought went through my head. You walking around with her hood over your head was suspicious. It might have sent me in that direction."

Seras folded the paper and crossed her arms. Her pout was only half-hearted. She knew she set herself up for that. She sighed. "Do you still think that way? It isn't me."

The man looked at her and shook his head. That wasn't a lie. "No," he breathed. _But you are hiding something_. "So, what does your friend do? The cop?"

Seras looked over at him. "He's not a cop, anymore. He's a detective in the FBI. I don't see him much, maybe once a year, if that." She shrugged.

The man scrunched his face. He scratched his chin. He was getting scruffy. "He's American? You're not?"

"No," Seras shook her head, not bothered by the question. "I was born out of country. My family liked to travel and I lived in Britain for a number of years, as did he. He immigrated though, after he met his wife. She was from here and that the time, she lived in London for a job. They fell in love and when she returned home, he went with her."

"He's not your age, is he?" he looked over at her. She didn't look older than 21. That was far too young for him to be that high in the ranks. Again, his mind wandered.

"No, he's 31. She's a year older. Our families knew each other. He's like my older brother; I've known him for so long."

"Oh." Officer Swan nodded. "Does Carlisle know him?"

It was just a normal question, one without motive. He hadn't expected her to react, but she did. Her answer was curious.

"No, My father knew his. The friendship didn't extend beyond that." Her tone was steady and low.

He could tell that what she said was the truth, but like before, he understood that there was a story behind it as well. As Charlie pulled down the last street towards the house, he found himself floored. Who was this girl? What was her history? The suspense gnawed at him. But then, just as he moved to race forward to ask more questions, something caught his eye. A set of happily twinkling lights and a groan caught him off guard.

Seras looked up the street and moaned. "Oh!" she cried. Leaving the newspaper on her lap, she lifted pale hands to her lips, quickly covering a nervous frown. _So, that was what that light switch was for_. She was the first to see the house. It was normally homely in the dark, with the small house light outside and the modern cozy landscaping bordering the front lawn. Yet, those fixings paled in comparison from when its apparently permanent Christmas lights were turned on. A string of yellow tiny bulbs outlined the peaked roof while a spotlight shined on the door. It stood lonely, empty of its wreath center piece. There were also electric lights in each window. They looked like candles. It was beautiful, though it wasn't Christmas.

What wasn't beautiful and was slightly disconcerting was the blue Mercedes parked outside of the home. A blonde man stood in the open door of the driver's side talking on his cell phone. He was staring up at the house. Seras swallowed. This was bad.

When the man outside noticed the police car turning into his driveway, Seras lowered her head and placed her hood back over it. The pure confusion and slight worry on his face made her heart race. Knowing that it probably wouldn't help anything, Seras quickly infiltrated Carlisle's mind long enough to drop a quick message. _"You're my Uncle. I'm not in trouble,"_ she stated quickly and then slammed the connection didn't want to stay. She didn't want to feel his worry quickly turn to anger. Still even in that little time, she had still heard his voice, its heavy accent calling her name.

When the car was parked and turned off, the cop sat for a moment looking at the house and then at the girl huddled in the corner. Her look said everything. Then, he watched the doctor close his car door and shut his phone. He walked over to the car as Charlie moved to get out. Carlisle did not look pleased.

Seras took a breath. She had taken down hundreds of demons. She had fought vampires, kings of vampires, ogres, zombies of many kinds, ghosts, humans, everything. Yet, she marveled over how she couldn't find the courage to leave the cop car and face the man… vampire outside it. She had known him a week. She shouldn't care how mad he was, but… she caught his eye and swallowed. Slowly, she opened the door, newspaper in hand, make up in pocket, and stepped out of the car.

Carlisle watched her. His expression not giving anything away beyond concern and slight frustration… angered frustration. "Come here," he beckoned quietly.

Seras walked up to him calmly. Her eyes never left his. Then as she entered his reach, she flinched. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. As the hood fell away, his eyes scanned over the contours of her face. Her heart picked up speed and she blushed knowing that he could hear it. However her reaction, he ignored it. Instead, he opted to lift steady calm fingers to ghost them along her cheeks and forehead. She closed her eyes and shuddered. He was colder than the night.

When he was satisfied, he looked back into her eyes, a question clearly lingering in their depths. _Seras? It's you right?_ She understood it easily and nodded.

Carlisle sighed, mindful of their audience. "Playing near the basement?" he stated, nodding towards the house. It wasn't a question.

Again, she nodded.

He lowered his hands and placed them on his hips. "You are absolutely drenched and freezing." _This doesn't help your condition. You are not out of the woods yet._

Seras could hear him say it. He said it every time. _You are not yet well._ She gritted her teeth. She knew that! But before she could puff up her cheeks and argue right back, he silenced her statement with a look. It blew her mind. _How did he DO that?_

Carlisle exhaled silently. He had heard that argument dozens of times too. "You will go inside and change so you can get warm. We will talk about this later." His golden eyebrows shot towards his hairline, his eyes challenging hers.

Seras glared, and then abruptly turned away walking towards the front door. Absently, she heard him sigh before she jerked the thing open and slammed it shut behind her.

That was satisfying. Opening it once more, she did it again.


	10. Chapter Ten: Into the Family, Dread

Being human brings with it many privileges, but it also has its disadvantages. Seras now has one less mask with which she can hide behind. Exposed, she finds herself cornered, faced with a question that the family has been dying to ask. What is she?

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Ten**

**Into the Family, Dread**

**************Disclaimer: As always, though the plotline is mine, the rest isn't. I don't own anything belonging within the Inuyasha, Hellsing, Twilight, or Samurai Deeper universes.**

* * *

When the girl slammed the door the first time, Charlie blinked. When she opened it and did it again, he cringed, then snorted. He looked up at Carlisle, his smirk hanging crooked on his lips. "She has a temper," he stated. His blunt words puffed whispery clouds into the crisp cold air.

Carlisle returned the man's stare with a steady gaze. He nodded slowly. "Apparently so," he said, pitching his lower tenor up a notch allowing his blatant sarcasm ring out into the night. He folded his arms. Then, the house lights tapped off suddenly. All of them. He sighed.

Charlie laughed. "A handful?" he asked, clearly unfazed by the sudden darkness.

"Yep." Again, Carlisle nodded. He knew that more than anyone. No one else had a one way ticket into the girl's brain. Again, he sighed.

"You survived five of them. Are you sure you can take on one more," Charlie chuckled.

Carlisle tilted his head at the man in front of him. He rocked back on his heels and put his hands in his pockets. Silently, he stepped towards the road with the Officer following close behind. Shaking his head, Carlisle moved to speak. "This is only temporary. She is just visiting."

The officer tisked, "Really? Too bad. You two seem…" _Close. _It was what he wanted to say, but he didn't. He paused and rephrased. "You care for her."

Carlisle exhaled before looking back at him. "She," he answered carefully. "She is family." He licked his lips. The word tasted weird on his tongue. It was a lie, one of the girl's own crafting, but it felt heavy and damming; a brick that suddenly rested on the soft outer membrane of his heart. He shook his head trying to dispel the feeling. He didn't want to analyze it.

Picking up on the doctor's heavy mood, the officer quickly changed the subject. "Well," he said. "They do say it gets better, right?" He smiled at the doctor.

Though the darkness around him attempted to hide his many laugh lines, it failed. Carlisle saw them all, the good, the bad, the future and the present. Soon, he let his gaze wander to the street while a small smile began to spread itself across his lips. He chuckled. "So says the man who just dumped his daughter into my house, further adding to my troubles."

Now, it was Charlie's turn to look down at the road. He took a breath. "Listen, I had a very interesting conversation with your niece on the way over."

Carlisle crumpled his eyebrows. Then, after a moment, his shoulders lowered.

It was all Charlie needed to see. He sighed. "Do you think they will make it," he asked. Though, he wanted to be hopeful, his pessimism wouldn't easily die. The couple had already broken up numerous times, the first being the most devastating. Charlie did not want to go through that again. The wedding was enough. He wasn't sure if he was ready to add a divorce on top of that only a few months later. He swallowed and shifted his weight.

Carlisle looked at him, already knowing where the man's thoughts were headed. He knew the answer to his question. He easily voiced it. "They will make it," he said. But on the inside he wasn't sure how long it would be before the two reached equilibrium, or how bumpy the journey. The road was very rough right now. "They haven't told us anything," he continued, deciding to speak the truth. They truly didn't know what happened. "They came back from their trip like this. Some days, they are fine, but others."

Charlie nodded. "I guess, there is little we can do right now until they open up."

Yet, Carlisle shook his head. "No, we support them. We wait patiently until they are ready to reach out for help and advise as we can until they do."

Charlie sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess you're right.

"Listen," he said turning to his, he didn't know what to call the man, the doctor beside him. They weren't friends, just acquaintances. He didn't like it. "I wish to see her… and him… and you. For better or for worse, we are family even if it's only temporary." He hadn't wanted to sound like he didn't believe what the man had said, but he wanted to be realistic.

Carlisle just watched him.

"Maybe your crew and I… Maybe we could do dinner some time and just, you know, talk." Charlie nodded his head down the street in the direction of the town. "You don't have to eat or anything. It would just be a good meeting place out of the house to, you know, catch up… get to know each other."

Placing his hands on his hips, Carlisle looked down at the road. He felt guilty about leaving Bella's father in the dark. Yet, with her change, they weren't sure how to present her to him; if it was even safe to do so. Still. "I don't think it is a bad idea," he answered.

It was the truth. Bella showed strong resistance to humans, startlingly strong. He hadn't seen it before, but she had survived the college visits and the visit with her mother. She was planning to start work that week. Perhaps, it was time to test the waters with the people who knew her best, who were used to seeing her every day. Yet, he realized, as adamant he was over the idea, he knew it wasn't just his decision to make. He closed his eyes. "I will talk to everyone. We should set a date. What about tomorrow night?"

Charlie blinked. He hadn't really expected it to be this easy. He shook his head. "No, that's fine. Thank you." He reached out his hand and Carlisle quickly met it. The man was freezing. Still, Charlie smiled, pleased that he had enough self control leftover from his army days to keep his wince from crumpling his face. He stepped back towards his car all the while wiping his palms on his pants. "I have to go, I'm on duty. We'll talk soon." He opened the door to his cruiser.

Carlisle slowly followed him humming softly. He understood. "I'll have Bella call you when they come home and we have a definite answer."

Charlie nodded and moved to get in. Then a thought made him stop and turn back. "If it's any consolation," he said softly. "Be easy on the girl. She's had a rough night."

Carlisle put his hands in his pockets. "I wasn't planning to do anything really." He eyed the car. "Is this rough night the reason why you found her?"

Seeing where the doctor's gaze was pointed, Charlie Swan laughed. "No, not really. I just wanted to give her a newspaper. Everything else happened afterward and I felt bad. So, I thought to give her a ride. Don't worry. Your niece isn't in trouble."

Carlisle's eyes dulled in dry humor. Why was it easier to hear the cop say that instead of the girl?He let the thought flitter away as he finally spoke the question that had bugged him since the Officer had pulled into his driveway. He crossed his arms. "What happened?"

* * *

Minutes later, Carlisle walked into his home immediately finding the girl standing in his kitchen crouched over her newspaper. She was writing viciously and crossing things out. He folded his arms and leaned against the threshold. He watched her silently until she caught sight of him and turned. She was still in the damp clothes from before. She hadn't done anything he'd asked. He tilted his head. "Didn't I tell you to change," he asked softly, displeasure clear in his tone.

The girl swallowed and stood straight, promptly turning around. "I didn't know from whom I was allowed to steal." Her voice was quiet and nervous. He sighed. He could hear her heart racing.

Carlisle lowered his hands and walked in, closing the door behind him. He eyed the hoodie she was wearing, before his eyebrows knotted together. "Is that Emmett's shirt?" He was curious, though he knew the answer.

The girl blushed, something he was used to seeing from his staff members not the dragon he had been nursing for the past week. It took him by surprise. He blinked, making the girl smile softly. The smile made the jagged stripes on her cheeks become even more crooked. It would have been endearing if it was truly genuine and not tainted with apprehensive uneasiness. Was that guilt he saw? He squinted.

"Um…," Seras began. "I had to find something that… um, that would fit."

Carlisle's forehead crinkled as he looked down at her. She was swimming in the shirt. It looked like it was wearing her, not the other way around. His confusion, he supposed, must have been easily detectable because the girl immediately began to remove the hoodie, revealing the white of one of Emmett's muscle shirts underneath. It was then, when she turned her back, that he saw them.

Her wings, pure black, fully scaled, stuck out of the shirt's torn back. They were large and long, ending about mid-thigh on her. Even still, they rested safely tucked in, close to her body. He wouldn't have noticed them, if she hadn't shown them.

Quickly, he stepped forward so he could reach out to touch one. He narrowed his eyes before he cautiously traced the gentle curves of the wing on her right. Immediately, Seras shivered. She turned and looked at him, letting her wide eyes glimmer in the dim kitchen light. It painted them a deep golden color that was not unlike his own. He took a breath and stepped away.

"I have clothing," the girl finally said. "But it isn't modern, or western."

Both adjectives were too vague for Carlisle's tastes, still he nodded. He took another step back. "I'm sure Emmett has enough to cover you for the meantime."

_Until you leave_, he thought_._ The words hung in his mind, echoing all around him along with the equally damning words the cop had said earlier. _You care for her_. He shook his head, knowing it was the truth. He didn't understand it. He had known her only a week. He shouldn't care, but he did.

The girl quickly turned and left, leaving damp footprints to trace her path up the stairs. Carlisle watched her go, relieved that she had thought enough to remove her sandals at the door before tracking anything else into the house. Earlier, Esme had called saying that she and the rest of the family would be home in an hour, two tops. She would not have been pleased coming home to see her new wooden floors ruined.

When he heard the sound of a door shut softly, Carlisle turned his head. He eyed the newspaper the girl had been reading. Like the cop, he too was familiar with the story, but it was only vague knowledge. These days, it was all his staff talked about, apart from their normal bouts of gossip. Those normally involved stories of him and other women. He rolled his eyes. He wished they were more creative. Walking to the island, he picked up the thick stack of newsprint. It was Sunday, meaning that the news came bundled with unnecessary additions. Letting some of the supermarket ads fall out of the middle, Carlisle unfolded the paper before removing the main section. He shuffled the pages slightly, before he looked down at the front cover.

He read the headline, then scanned the first paragraph knowing that it would tell him all he needed. The killer had struck again. But this time, unlike his other murders, the house was burned down and there was a survivor, one who knew what the guy looked like. It was old news to him, since many a nurse was shocked to discover that the survivor's description depicted a woman, not a man. He looked down at the images on the page. The reporter was able to get hold of four photos, three of the individuals involved and one of the house. Carlisle's eyebrows rose to his hairline. The little cottage was completely destroyed. He was amazed that the child, found huddled in a half scorched closet, was not burned with the home. She was lucky in that sense. Still…

His eyes shifted to the recent school picture of the seven year old. She was thin and young with freckles and a small gap in her teeth. In the picture, he smiled to see her tongue sticking out through the little space, showing pink where there should have been black. She looked happy. They all did. He looked up at the main picture, the one that showed the family all together. The girl was perched high on the father's shoulder. His smile was as broad and wide as his daughters, as his wife's who stood next to him. She looked up at him and their offspring, her eyes bright with love and affection. This family, this perfect picture fit for a postcard, was now destroyed beyond repair.

Shaking his head, Carlisle sighed before eyeing the last picture, the black and white drawing of the killer. He narrowed his gaze at the thick dark hair and piercing light colored eyes of the cold woman looking back at him. He wanted to know how she could do these things. Was it revenge of some kind? A twisted philosophy? A… He stopped and put the paper down. He looked up the stairs. Why was the girl so interested? The paper had been marked with words scratched out, underlined, and circled. He looked down at the table and the pen that sat by his hand. She had left it, like the paper.

Carlisle leaned against the table and put his head in his hands. There were too many questions and he was tired. The day's surgery had not gone well. The lady in question had reacted badly to the anesthesia and they had barely saved her. However, in spite saving her life, he knew she would never fully recover. Once again, Carlisle slowly shook his head. He never took those situations well. It wasn't his fault; still he couldn't quite shrug the feeling.

Rising from his crouch, the man stepped away from the kitchen before turning to climb the stairs. He let his mind wander over the rest of the events of that hour. He had called after the disaster to find no answer to his voicemail. Realizing what had happened, that the dragon had made a break for it, he had left work in search of her, his boss letting him go early due to the rough surgery. The man understood, for which Carlisle was grateful. Upon getting to the house and seeing the lights blaring, he had worried. But then, seeing the police car pull up moments later and hearing the girl's frantic plea in his mind had been the last straw. Why did everything happen at once? He was grateful, Carlisle admitted looking over his balcony into his living room, the dragon had returned with it, safe and trouble free. She was now human. It was a sign that she was getting better, but it also meant that their time was almost done. Carlisle turned and stared at Emmett's door knowing that she was behind it. Why did this bother him?

Pushing those thoughts aside, the man walked to the door. Then, he knocked on the white painted wood before he heard quiet shuffling accelerate in volume on the other side. The girl cried out. "I'm almost done," she said.

"You have five minutes, meet me in my office." When she agreed, Carlisle smiled, a ghost of one that faded quickly.

With that, he turned away, walking around the corner and down the long narrow hallway. Partway to his door, he absently eyed the plaque of framed graduation caps that hung proudly before him. He smirked at it gently. His family was getting bigger. They would have to find a wider frame to add Bella's. She had a long way to go to catch up with her siblings. He wondered if she ever would. Still, he had confidence in her. Shaking his head, Carlisle reached his door and opened it.

The room was dark and though he could see fairly well, he still wished for a light. Reaching over, Carlisle pawed the wall until he found the little familiar switch and flicked it on.

Normally, as per his routine, he would have sauntered into his den taking everything in, yet nothing at all. But on this night, Carlisle's attention was fixed, stolen away from his chair and its computer, from the magazines and the couch, though he noted the dark glossy silk that lay silent on its seat. He saw neither of these things, the shelves, or their books, nor the framed degrees on his white painted walls. But he did see two things, two new things he had never seen before.

There were two full length katanas resting silently on his desk. They looked to be works of art, they were that beautiful. He walked forward, his golden eyes scanning over the simple, elegant curves of each piece. One was black in color decorated with soft swirls of silver that danced along its handle, bell, and sheaf. The other was its polar opposite, silver with black decorations. Its swirls were angled and jagged, like the stripes on her cheeks. As he stepped forward, Carlisle's mind wandered to the dragon down his hall. Where had she found these? Did they appear when she changed? He thought back to the wolves. They couldn't change clothing let alone weapons. When he was standing mere inches from his desk, from the blades on top of it, he stopped walking. What was she? Not for the first time, he let the question echo through his mind. Would it always continue to haunt him?

As he stood above them, Carlisle noticed that there was an energy radiating from the swords, more so from the darker brother. It was nothing he'd felt before. Curious, he eyed the blade, and the silver chains binding the sword to its sheath. They wrapped around it, choking it like a python a rat. He lifted a hand, his face crinkling in the low golden light. Then, he lowered it, ghosting his fingers along the thick long chain. The smooth links were warm under his fingertips, a sensation he thought remarkable. They were warm like a hot plate, hot to the touch, but not burningly so. For his condition, it was almost too warm. He licked his lips and moved his hand closer to the blade itself. He swore he could feel the energy pulse as he drew near, as his fingertips caressed the slick thick metal of its sheath once, twice, a third time before he suddenly moved to grab it fully.

He blinked. He heard a crack and the sound of wind rushing through him. Then, the world turned black. Dark and blurry like a horrific painting, images flashed before his eyes that were both fantastic and grotesque; battle scenes, people tortured, dying in clumps falling like hair pulled from the scalp. Their bodies crashed to the ground broken and mutilated while their blood splattered covering him and the ground, all because of the blade wielded effortlessly by two slender hands. So many were dying, men mostly, women too, sometimes children. Their faces flashed like pictures on film, moving one hundred, one thousand times a minute before him. He grunted under the emotional strain, overwhelmed by it, until he felt something else rise and pulse.

This energy was colder, cool and biting like a harsh breeze in winter. It wrapped around him slowing the images, caressing his mind until he could relax enough to open his eyes. As his lids parted and his pupil's focused, Carlisle lifted his hand from the black sword. He looked over at the silver blade. Its energy pulsed and fought with the other before its brother weakened and slept. Then, it too slept.

Relief colored his cheeks a second before he found himself pushed away from the blades. They were promptly snapped from the table and pressed swiftly to a sweatshirt covered bosom, sheltered by a chin hanging threateningly above them. Carlisle blinked, looking down at the girl. How did she get there?

The room was quiet except for the soft sounds of heavy breathing. Carlisle stumbled away and collapsed on his couch. His chest heaved. He stared up at the ceiling amazed at the realization that the sound was coming from him. He, his people, always breathed though they didn't need to. They wished to smell, bask in the familiar sensation, but they didn't breathe hard, not like humans. Not without just cause.

His eyes tilted over to the girl. Her hands were white from gripping the blades. Her eyes were covered by her dark hair shielding them from his gaze. Pushing up, he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he tried to look up into them. She was standing on the other side of his desk. Her breathing was also erratic.

"I'm," she opened her mouth, her soft lips parting slightly before she paused. She grimaced and backed away until her wings rammed themselves into a corner, trapping her between a window and the door to his library. "I'm sorry, I should have warned you." If his hearing wasn't so well honed, Carlisle wouldn't have heard her, her voice was so low. "As I said, my things are not appropriate for this time. I needed to hide them, so I left them here. I thought they would be safe."

He thought of the silk beside him. Now, he was curious to see it, but instead Carlisle rose to his feet. Slowly, he edged near the girl, his footsteps soft and heavy on the carpet. Surprised, he looked down at his shoes, realizing his mistake. He had left them on? He marveled absently, wondering if he had tracked something in even while he had panicked over the girl doing the same thing. He sighed. Esme was going to kill him.

He lifted his head. "What you did makes sense," Carlisle said. His voice was soft, tender like a baby's foot step. He was about to say more, but the girl interrupted him, her quiet voice floating delicately in the air.

"What did it show you? The black sword…"

Carlisle took a deep breath and took another step forward. "Do you want to see?" He tilted his head.

Her hands tightened along the blades. "You would let me in?"

Carlisle nodded and stepped forward again. He bent so he could look up at her. "Please."

The word was barely off of his lips when he felt the gentle familiar fingers of her mind scan through his memory, shifting them like pages in a book. It was a curious sensation, having your memory jogged independently as though watching a dream. The images reappeared one by one in order flashing briefly, but not as jarringly fast as they had before. Then, after a moment, when the last image sped past, they faded along with her presence.

The girl doubled over and turned her head to the side. "I'm sorry," she spoke, her words small.

The man shook his head. He hesitantly drew the girl to him, pulling her from the isolation of the corner. As he rested his chin on her head, he exhaled and looked down at her, pondering the reasons why he was doing what he was doing. "It isn't your fault," he said eventually, pulling away.

The girl's eyes were wide. But then they blinked and she blushed. She stepped away from him and began to walk towards the door. "They are sentient, the swords, with a will and power of their own. They remember and know of their past, like people do." She explained.

He watched her leave and then followed, closing the door behind him. "Is that what I saw? The sword's past?" When the girl didn't answer, Carlisle glared and sped past her, blocking her way to the stairs. "Did I see the sword's past or yours?" His voice was low, his growl accusing. "Did you kill those people?"

The girl blinked up at him. She hadn't expected the man to cut her off. She nearly ran face first into him. Hesitantly, she shook her head, her chin barely knocking against the handles of her blades. "I must leave. I've stayed too long." She tried to push past him, but he easily caught her elbow, holding her to him easily. She was shaking. She didn't know he was that strong.

Carlisle looked back at her, his eyes trying to pierce into hers though she refused to look at him. He licked his lips. "Where would you go," he asked. When she tried to pull away, his fingers gripped her elbow tighter. Her heart was racing. He could hear it, yet he didn't budge. "Back to the cave, to the invisible existence you lived before you stumbled across Bella? Why?"

He watched her. Her bangs covered her eyes. Her teeth bit into the plump flesh of her lips stained red with the one tear she allowed herself to shed. He blinked. She cried blood tears. His strength faltered.

The image tugged at his heart, making him weak. He hardened it, forcing himself to continue. His words pierced him as they did her. "Why?" he asked again. "Because you have a past? This family, each member has a history, most not too pleasant like yourself."

"You don't know me," Seras interrupted. "What is a week between strangers?" She yanked her elbow and Carlisle relented knowing that she wasn't going to run. He could see it in her eyes, a rising determination that sparkled in the gold of her irises. He had seen it many times in the last week and knew that in the least, she would stay long enough to finish the argument.

Shifting his body towards her, the doctor nodded his head. His blond hair fell into his eyes with the movement. "It's true; you are currently surrounded by mystery. There are questions and no amount of images could ever answer them." He inhaled. "I saved your life and as a result I now feel responsible for you. It's the same feeling that I felt when I turned my own offspring. I feel compelled to know you, to at least learn of the creature I rescued. Could you at least grant me that?"

For a moment, the girl just stared at him weighing his words. Then she turned away, her eyes gazing over the railing of the balcony. "These," she finally said, shaking the swords. "They cannot remain in the open and I am unable, at the moment, to hide them."

Watching her, Carlisle nodded. "I have a place." He turned and walked back down the hall towards the second set of stairs located by his office. He spoke gently. "Follow me."

* * *

Seras watched him a second, maybe two, before she began to follow him silently. With him leading, she climbed the stairs, turned the corner at the top and walked towards the furthest room down the hall. The hallway of the third floor was identical to the second. Thus, when he stopped, she noted that they were now standing over his office. It was like they hadn't left.

At the simple door, Carlisle paused and pulled out his keys from his pocket. "This is the library," he said, while he fiddled through each one until he found the one he wanted. It was small and rusty brown, slightly thinner than the others with fewer teeth. "I have a library in my office, but this one is for the family in general. It houses a lot of our secrets and if we have business," he turned to eye her, making sure she understood, "it's normally conducted in here." He turned back and opened the door. "Rarely does anyone come in here and if they do, they have to come through me. In here, I have a safe."

He led Seras through the room. If she had been in dragon form, her ears would have been flattened, skin to bone flat. She hadn't meant for him to show her where his secrets lied. It was humbling and slightly alarming. For her, it meant one of two things; that he had little to hide, or that he trusted her implicitly. She looked away, pulling her curious stare from the gentle swaying of his shoulders. She had done nothing to warrant such trust. It was misplaced.

* * *

Seconds later, Carlisle led the girl to a corner where a long chest sat on a table. It looked old and sturdy, something leftover from another time. Again, Carlisle pulled out a key, swiftly and skillfully unlocking it. Jerking the lid up, dust scattered before something inside glinted in the dim light which wafted through the door to the hallway. Inside rested an 18th century English saber and a well preserved practice foil also from the era. Carlisle eagerly watched the girl's eyes feast on his little treasure. "You are not the only one with relics of another time," he said, smiling slightly.

The girl crinkled her brow. "How old are you?" She looked up at him, her gaze expectant.

He wasn't quite ready for that question. Still, he shrugged and gestured for her to place her swords inside the large case. There was barely enough room. "372, give or take a year. I've been around a while." He said closing the case and relocking it.

Seras smiled. "I have you beat," she said softly.

The man lifted an eyebrow. That couldn't be possible. "How old are you?" He threw out the question, uncaring of her opinion on his originality.

The girl just blinked. "I don't know exactly, but all of my significant memories begin around 700 years ago, give or take a year." She smirked at him, amused by the look on his face. The confusion was plain.

"But you live," he said cautiously. He looked down at her body, of what he could see of it through the baggy sweatpants and extremely large blue hoodie she was wearing. She looked to be nothing but a young girl barely into her twenties, nothing more. "Are you," he began, not believing the words even as he spoke them. "an adult?"

The girl smiled showing a peak of fang, something that he was not necessarily prepared for either. "No." She shook her head. "My kind age slowly; my species, even more so. Physically, if you put my age in human terms, I'm only 19."

_19?!_ Carlisle was taken back, though in hind sight, he realized he shouldn't have been.

Before he could ask his next logical question, Seras moved to interrupt him. Her head snapped to the left, Her eyes stared eerily at the open door. Licking his lips, Carlisle turned to look in the direction. He saw nothing, but then seconds later, he heard the front door crack open followed by the sound of footsteps walking into the house.

Seras stepped forward, but Carlisle stopped her. Anticipating the move, he held her back with a hand. "Wait," he whispered. Seras looked up at him, her eyes glinting. She called his name, but he ignored it. He stepped towards the door on silent feet. His ears pricked. The footsteps walked around the first floor checking out the kitchen. Edging towards the balcony, he walked down the hallway and once he got there, he put his back to the wall and looked slyly over the edge. When he saw black pumps, a brown leather jacket, bracelets, and soft brunet hair, he sighed and stepped out into the open.

The woman, catching the movement in the corner of her eye, looked up at him her mouth spreading into a smile. She was standing next to the kitchen's island looking as if she was going through her purse while eyeing the newspaper on the table. Seeing him, the slight curiosity in her eyes faded. Then from its ashes, soft concern bubbled into her golden brown irises. The dark orbs sparkled in the warm light of the kitchen. They were brilliant like her smile. He smiled back softly before she called up to him. "Bad day at the office, dear? Where's our friend?"

Carlisle sighed and leaned against the balcony. She could always read him so well. He nodded and looked back down the hallway startled to find Seras crouched along the wall next to him. He blinked, once again wondering how she had gotten there without him noticing. He glared, displeased that she had once again disobeyed his order.

Seras looked at him and rolled her eyes. "What?!" She whispered. She crossed her arms. "I knew who it was. You're the one who went all ballistic."

Carlisle's gaze turned stern before he watched her take a step back. Her body was soon engulfed by the shadows of the hallway. Then, she began to bite her lip. Cautiously, she directed her gaze towards the kitchen, towards the family members dawdling outside. His stare softened. She didn't have to say anything. He knew what she was thinking.

Making a decision, Carlisle followed her back into the shadows. Catching her eye, he raised a hand and watched her steadily. "Do you trust me?" he asked softly.

Seras looked at him, her eyes were wide with uncertainty. She looked down at his hand letting the silence drag on between them. Then, hesitantly, she reached out and grabbed hold of it.

Carlisle smiled. He pulled her into the light.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Into the Family, Qs

Being human brings with it many privileges, but it also has its disadvantages. Seras now has one less mask with which she can hide behind. Exposed, she finds herself cornered, faced with a question that the family has been dying to ask. What is she?

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Ten: Part Two**

**Into the Family, Questions**

**Sunday, November 25th, 2012**

* * *

It had taken the wolf more time than he liked getting to the coastline. Two days was far too long for a journey that should have taken less than a few hours, but he had taken his time. Meticulously, he had searched the surrounding areas, of the worn path he'd run, smelling the earth, listening for a sign, some hint of the girl. Yet nothing was forthcoming, not a whiff apart from the letter she had sent him two weeks prior saying where she was headed and to whom. He huffed, then stepped out of a row of scratchy evergreen bushes.

He'd journeyed as far as he could without actually entering the territory he was skirting. He didn't want to notify the residents of his presence too soon. Pack was pack, but it had been too long. Many years had passed, nearly two centuries. He was unsure of how welcome his reception would be in spite his relation to them. He didn't want to go in alone.

He inhaled, then sneezed. His tail puffed, jerking straight with the action. The wolf glared out into the woods scrunching his head into his shoulders. This weather sucked. Rainy and muddy one day, cold and snowy the next, it was neither winter, nor spring. He wished the earth would make up its mind, if only just so he could get over his cold. He sneezed again and cursed; cursed the girl and the dumb mutt that gave her the seal in the first place. In spite of how important the item was to her safety, the wolf couldn't help, but mourn over how inconvenient the little bugger made things. _She's getting an ear full when I find her_, he thought miserably to himself. _And a frog in her bed._ The wolf stopped at the thought before a large tooth filled grin spread viciously across his face. _Yeah, that and a…_

"Do you see that?"

The wolf paused. He was mid-thought when a sudden growl broke through his reverie. He froze. His shoulders scrunched more. His tail stuck out, and he gritted his teeth before he turned his head towards the unfamiliar presence. Then, his eyes widened. Takashi lowered his tail, and flattened his ears. Above him, standing three times his size was a chocolate brown wolf that was roughly the size of a large van. He swallowed and sniffed.

"Do I see what?" Another voice broke through the foliage followed by the even larger body of a grey wolf with black spots on his back. The two were speaking, growling and howling, unaware that their audience could understand every word.

"Oh!" The grey wolf stalked over to stand next to his follow pack member. "Look at that, he's just staring at us. Normally, they just run away. He probably thinks you're his big brother or something." The grey wolf laughed while the brown one growled. He snapped his fangs at his packmate.

Takashi eyed the creatures and sniffed again. They smelled human. No, he thought. That wasn't quite right. He sniffed again before lifting a lip, showing one slender, well pointed fang. He crinkled his muzzle. They smelled worse than human. He took a step forward, his head and tail still lowered. He raised his nose high.

"Yeah, whatever, at least this is better than the bloodsucker you sent me over here for. 'Quil, I think I hear something in the bushes. It must be a fanger. I think I can smell it. Can you go see,'" the brown wolf mimicked.

The grey wolf flattened his ears while his tail swayed slowly to the side. "Hey, I didn't say I could smell it. I just heard something. I thought it was worth checking out."

"Dude, look." The brown wolf ignored his friend and turned back to the youkai who was now close enough to bite. "I think he wants a sniff. I bet, he doesn't know what I am. Maybe, he's trying to figure me out."

"Yeah, he's figuring out why you smell so bad."

"Embry!"

The grey one smirked. "What! It's true!" He gave his tail a quick, happy wag until Quil tackled him to the ground trying to nip his ears.

Takashi flattened his own and sneezed. Cubs, he huffed. His breath made puffy clouds in the air. It made him frown. Impressively, he scrunched his head even further into his shoulders. It was way too cold for this. Takashi gritted his teeth and turned away flicking his tail. His mind focused on something else. So, there were vampires in the was going to kill narrowed his eyes and gazed off at a nearby tree, but when he felt a thud shake the ground underneath him, he paused and watched the other two with a raised eyebrow.

The brown one, Quil, jumped off of his pack mate tail wagging. As he stretched and shook his fur, Embry rolled over and got up.

"Quil?' Embry asked quietly.

Quil turned his head, his ears perking. He could hear his friend's heart pick up speed. He lowered quickly lowered them knowing the question before the words were ever spoken.

Still, Embry continued. "When do you think we will attack the group?"

Quil sighed and sat down. "Why do you keep asking that? You heard Jacob's Father at the meeting. Bella and her vamp husband came back from the honey moon and hasn't been seen since. It's almost a surety that he's changed her. Why else would they hide her like that? We attack when we get a confirmation, not before. We won't act unless they give us a reason. We're not monsters like they are."

"I see. You're right." Embry replied swaying his tail gently, the cub began walking away following along the reservation's border.

Quil watched his friend before he too rose to his feet. "What's the matter, Embry, disappointed that you can't kill them yet? Can't storm through Forks fangs bared and eyes blazing like the wolf you are?"

Embry looked back and smirked. "No, it's just the waiting that's killing me. I wish this was over and done with so things can go back to normal."

"I know what you mean." Quil looked at the wolf watching it take off into the distance. "They get it so easy," he said nodding after it. He turned to look at his friend whose gaze was also staring at the horizon.

Then, Embry turned. He looked down at the path. "We will have it easy soon. Once the bloodsuckers are dead and this war is over. Our peace has to come eventually."

"I guess you're right, man. Hopefully, it's soon." As they walked away, the encounter with the black wolf quickly faded from their minds, Embry's first, and Quil's second. Still, hours later one lonely thought still lingered tickling the empty recesses of Quil's mind. Why did it smell of gun powder and Jacob Black?

* * *

Seras fidgeted. Her fingers played with the edges of her shirt. Her toes wiggled in the white tube socks she was sporting. She bit her lip and her eyebrows twisted, tying and untying knots over her eyes like an undecided spider constantly fixing his web. The skin along her brow crinkled and unwrinkled, rumpled and sweated while her eyes darted from person to person then to the door behind them. She swallowed before mentally kicking herself. Why had she stayed? Why did she choose to sit in the corner? She'd blocked her exits. Could she go up the chimney? Could they catch her?

She looked over at Carlisle and gauged his level of calmness. She didn't understand how the guy could always stay so emotionally controlled like that. Even when he was riled and upset, even then he never raised his voice, never acted out beyond a stern look and a sigh. She admired the ability. She tried to mimic him. Taking deep breaths, she counted to ten, _one, two. _She sighed. It didn't work.

Carlisle, from his place behind his wife, caught Seras's eye and smiled encouragingly. The girl was utterly terrified. He sighed and reached over to hold the hand of his mate which rested peacefully on her shoulder while she sat calmly on the couch. Esme squeezed his fingers and briefly looked up at him before looking back at the girl. Understanding and a loving patience shone deep through her golden brown gaze. Her smile softened and Carlisle looked up once more. The girl had nothing to be afraid of. He smiled and then spoke softly. "My dear, why don't you start from the beginning."

Blinking up at him like a startled deer, the girl opened her mouth and stuttered. "What do you mean by the beginning?" She asked. "How far back do you want me to go?" Her eyebrows shot into the air, even as her eyes shifted, their golden gleam moving from person to person.

Emmett sat in the arm chair across from her while his wife sat calmly on its arm. Her body was perched gracefully, condescendingly like a swan. He, though, was slouched and relaxed, his attention weaving between her and the game on the TV beside her. On the couch to the right of Esme sat Alice and her husband. Though his face was lined with an open hospitable express, his wife looked back at her with a settled uneasiness. It seemed to perfectly compliment the eternal scowl of the young man who stood behind her.

Edward's stance was nothing, but stubborn aggression. He was easy to read and she was well aware that he knew of her desire to run. He looked like he was ready to pounce at the smallest movement. She narrowed her eyes before lowering them. She didn't understand the guy. If he didn't like her so much, why keep her around? Why steal her things forcing her to stay put? Seras longed to slouch back and rub her forehead, but she didn't. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Seras's eyes hardened as she stared over the group. "Just because you ask questions, it doesn't mean I will answer them."

_You have not earned my trust, _She thought. _You are still nothing, but strangers._ Again she eyed Edward. _And possible enemies._

"Of course, we understand," a soft voice replied. Seras slanted her eyes towards the girl beside her. Bella had willingly sat with her on the love-seat, like she had nearly everyday the week prior.

Beyond Esme, the pup was the first to see her in her human form. She had just descended the stairs led by the girl's father-in-law, when Bella walked through the front door carrying a box that should have been far too heavy for her. Seeing her, the girl just stopped. Slowly, she'd put the box down, before walking towards her.

Uncertain under the girl's weighted stare, Seras had looked up at Carlisle. He only smiled and stepped away, calmly removing Seras's hiding spot behind his shoulder before moving to greet his wife. Seras swallowed and waited patiently as the girl stepped closer.

Bella's eyes roved steadily over her face and markings. Then the girl's face scrunched, her slight curiosity wrinkling her nose the exact way her father's had earlier that night. The realization almost made her smile, but then the girl spoke. "You're her, aren't you," Bella asked softly. Her curiosity and certainty made the question a statement, nothing more. "Dragon?"

"My name," Seras began just as carefully. "Is Seras." She licked her lips and the girl smiled. The movement reached her eyes, making them crinkle.

"I guess this means I can't pet you anymore, huh?" Bella said, happily put her hands on her hips.

The simple observation quickly broke the ice and Seras laughed, her English accent painting the sound gold and bright like her eyes. Slightly taken back, Bella blinked before she too felt a small smile spread slowly across her lips. The girl had a beautiful laugh, she thought, like chimes on the wind.

Unfortunately, the hilarity, the soft beauty found in such simple moments, quickly faded with a jerk and a slam, the closing of the front door. Caught, Seras stopped laughing as she raised her gaze towards the young man who'd entered. His eyes, like his wife's, were round and open, his mouth limp like a fish. However, whatever air, whatever spell that was over him quickly shattered as the boy Edward snapped back to himself and walked in allowing his other siblings file in behind him.

Like they were ten minutes later, each member had entered with various looks of surprise and shock filtering through each face, some more than others. As such, it had taken nothing for them to unpack the car and then situate themselves around her. Sitting curious and stern, they were like judges on a panel, all of them ready for her to spill her guts and perish. She wiped her hands on her pants and eyed the door. Of course, Edward moved to block it. Seras scowled and his eyes gleamed. Then Bella spoke.

"We understand, we have our own rules." She said leaning forward.

Seras tilted her head, her eyes reluctantly pulling away from the boy's. "Rules?"

Bella nodded, her eyebrows folding, "guidelines that our species is allowed to do and not do to preserve our secret and safety. Are you… human?"

"You are a shape-shifter, are you not?" When the deeper voice interrupted, everyone turned to look at the ex- soldier with raised eyebrows. Jasper never spoke, not like this. It seemed too out of character. Alice looked up at him, her face a mixture between worry and fascination, but Jasper ignored the stares opting instead to just look at Seras. His eyes were steady, their irises sure like the steal of a blade glinting in the setting sun. They reminded her of someone else's and she, for the slightest second, had to turn away, her heart aching. She sighed and then looked to the pup beside her.

"No, I am not human," she said. Her accent was thick, but soft. "And I am no shape-shifter."

"I didn't think so," Emmett cut in, his eyes never leaving the game. Syracuse was playing Michigan. His heart was torn. He didn't know who to root for. "You don't smell like them."

_Them?_ Seras tilted her head. But before she could speak someone else spoke up.

Edward's cold suspicious voice crackled subtly like the flame in the fireplace. "If you are not a shape-shifter, or human, then what the hell are you?"

"Edward," Carlisle eyed his eldest son, carefully shooting him a glance that Seras was well familiar with. While he remained silent, the boy glared and shifted his weight. His eyes never left her.

"Seras, will you please continue," Esme pressed gently. Her smile never wilted.

Seras looked down at her hands. "I am not human. I am not dragon either. I am youkai."

"Youkai. What is that, exactly?" Jasper asked. His voice was steady. He tried to say the word, slowly rolling the syllables on his tongue. They didn't quite come out correctly.

Meeting his gaze, Seras plowed forward. "Humans in the past referred to my kind as a variety of things, but the most common term used was demon. It is well earned, but the term is inaccurate." Though many eyes lit, some in surprise, others in alarm, Seras continued to speak. Her words jumbling together as she rushed to finish the thought before she was interrupted. "We are spirits, ghosts of the earth birthed in various ways, some from strong emotion, others from misdeeds, others out of good. The stories vary as we vary, as the creatures of the earth vary. I am a dragon demon. This human form is nothing, but an illusion."

Bella's nose crinkled. "Can all demons," she spoke the word carefully unsure if it was correct. "Can you all change into humans? Are there many of you?"

Seras let her eyes graze across the group before she turned to the girl beside her. She inhaled. "No, not all can turn. There are levels of power and most youkai do not possess enough to perform such an action. It is also not something that can be built up either. Youkai with the power to turn human are born human. If not, they will never change. And no, there are not many of us left, even amongst the lower levels. Of those of us that are, we sleep, or are in hiding beyond the reach of..." She eyed the girl. "Human discoveries, in spite of the advancing technologies. Some do, however, remain active in the human world. They are quite powerful and act solely for our protection."

"Protection," Carlisle stated. "The governments know of you?"

Seras looked up at him. Her eyes were serious, her mouth straight and still though she shrugged a shoulder lazily. "As I said, our existence is tied to the earth. The earth gives birth to us and in turn we serve it. If we die, the earth could suffer both from the violence of war and from neglect. Some of us perform roles that keep this world in balance. It behooves both of our species to keep the peace. Thus, we are protected."

"Some protection," Emmett snorted. "You get to live carefree endless lives, but in secret. You all live less then what you are." Briefly, his eyes slanted towards her.

"Like that is any different from how we live," Jasper argued watching the dragon look away.

"Yeah, but you saw her in her true size. She's a 30 foot dragon, yet she is forced to live in this puny little form because of the sensitive insecurities of some old geezer in Congress."

Jasper narrowed his eyes, but he didn't look towards his brother. "Some sacrifices need to be made to keep a people alive." He looked away. "Sometimes, you have to make those hard decisions."

As he spoke, Alice reached over and grasped his hand, knowing he was thinking of the war. He silently squeezed it letting his memories blur with the action, turning them into something else.

There was a beat of silence before someone else spoke.

"So I'm assuming," Carlisle said removing his hand from Esme's. He crossed his arms. "That the reason you were out there in the first place was because you were stretching your wings, am I correct?"

Seras looked at him and nodded. "Well, yes and no. I was hunting and I was in dragon form because I was antsy, yes. It had been a while, but I travel a lot and I'm used to being outside constantly. When I'm in my human form, I have the tools I need to stay warm, but on that night, between getting the pup to you, the sudden storm, and falling into the river, I was too weak to change and my fire went out."

Esme laughed hearing the girl ramble non-stop without breathing. "You can relax. He wasn't scolding you."

_Of course he isn't,_ Seras mumbled. _He's saving that for later._ She wondered what he was thinking. She looked at him and sighed. Carlisle's eyes were unreadable. She was tempted to ask mentally, but with the jerk around, she eyed Edward. She didn't dare. Why add fuel to that bond fire? She didn't want him over hearing. The resulting explosion wasn't worth it.

"Pup?"

"You can breathe fire?"

The questions came at once from both sides jerking Seras back to the conversation. She looked between Bella and Emmett. Bella's nose was still crinkled. It gave Seras a strong desire to say something to smooth it out, but then again the boyish glint in the jock's eyes pulled at her too. She swallowed and looked down at the girl. "I have spent a great deal of time with dog youkai. My Lord is a white dog. He is the one who gave me my seals and his father my markings. It's natural, therefore, to use such terminology. You are very young."

_Seals, markings._ Edward sneered. "You seem very forthcoming with all this information."

Though he had seen her answering glare, Carlisle couldn't help but speak up with his son. "Edward's point is valid. You share much."

Seras lifted her chin at the challenge, an action that Carlisle was well use to, even though the others weren't. "Being what you are, I assumed you would be neighborly, that what little confidences I did give you, you would hold responsibly as I would yours. Was I mistaken?" She tilted her head.

When her immediate answer was silence, she lowered it and continued, "Even so, even if you did betray my trust, I'm not so weak that I wouldn't seek out my vengeance against you. I've killed your kind before."

When even that brought forth nothing, Seras rose to her feet, her eyes hard. She looked briefly at Carlisle, before looking down at the pup. She sighed. "Perhaps, I have overstayed my welcome." As she began to move to leave, Carlisle blinked. He quickly tried to stop her, but Jasper beat him to it.

Silently, the man rose and walked to her. Then, with gentle hands, he grasped Seras's elbow while he softly apologized and ushered her back to her seat. Everybody watched, none quite knowing how to take the action. Seras also watched him, even as she did as he asked.

"You would have to forgive us," Jasper said returning to his seat. "Such a comment is not easy to move pass, even though it should have been expected. Forgive our sentiments, but they have sound reason and should also have been expected. "

Seras looked away knowing that he was correct. Though she didn't say it, the action was enough to convey her apology.

"So, you said you travelled?" Esme asked. She wished to fill the silence and expel the awkwardness that threatened to invade it. Little did she know that the question would make it worse.

Here, Seras turned to her. Esme gauged the look in her eye. She could see the girl form a question then judge its weight before she leaned forward to ask it.

"When you rescued me, before you entered the cave, I remember someone mentioning something about wolves. What were you talking about?"

Edward narrowed his eyes, but then Alice jumped the gun, immediately asking his question. "Why are you interested?" Her face was soft, filled with a certain unsure curiosity. Everyone looked at her. She too had been uncommonly quiet, uncharacteristic.

Seras took a breath and looked squarely at her. "I'm a scientist of sorts," she said plainly. "I'm an anthropologist of any and all mythical creatures born of both eastern and western descent. I study them and write about them. That's the bulk of how I make my living. In addition to that, I am also a source of information to the authorities when such beings turn rogue and start terrorizing humans. They don't always have an answer and most times I'm able help them fill in the gaps."

"So, you're a cop then," Bella asked slightly excited

Seras shrugged, "not officially, though at times I help. "

"Is that why you were so interested in the serial case?"

Seras looked at Carlisle, her eyes thoughtful. "Honestly, I have been following it for some time, but I have yet to be called in. I am expecting it, though. The killer isn't human and she's targeting youkai. The fact that there had been so many and that the authorities had to come out and warned the youkai community speaks volumes. I'm actually surprised they haven't called for me yet."

"Then why haven't you gone to them? Why search the wolves out instead?" Edward's words were low and soft, but there was an edge to them.

It was Seras's turn to scrunch her nose. _Because the fox is a bitch and won't listen to a word I say regardless._ That was what she was thinking, but she wouldn't say it out loud. Instead, she crossed her arms and gave them the answer she got every time she tried. "Because I am not an official agent, and thus don't work for the FBI, my help cannot be accepted until they come to me first and not before."

The look on her face was miserable, Esme thought. She laughed. "And so, you search out wolves to keep yourself preoccupied and conveniently in the area until they do call for you. You are stubborn."

Seras blinked at her and blushed. She uncrossed her arms and started to play with the ends of her hoodie. "Well, my search is legit, regardless. There have been rumors of wolf activity here as of late. I was eager to see who they are and see if I could stick around long enough to see them run and study them. We haven't seen them in years, if it's who I think it is."

"You don't have to go there. We could tell you everything," Edward replied darkly.

Seras blinked, her eyes wide. "You've seen them!"

Her answer was silence. Some in the group looked away, but Emmett didn't. He looked straight her when he spoke. "We are currently at war with them. Or we will be once they realize that lover boy turned his wife, the 'pup' you're so fond of."

Seras caught the little stab to the girl beside her and felt for her. Still, she couldn't help but lean forward locked onto what Emmett had just said. "You are at war with the wolves? Oh my god! What did you do?"

Carlisle watched her, his eyes steadily taking in her open expression not quite understanding why she was so excited. "We had a treaty with them sometime ago saying that they would be civil with us as long as we didn't spill human blood because of our... condition. Bella's turning voids the treaty and gives them leave to attack."

"Well shoot." Seras expounded, her lips quirked in a grin. "Good!"

Edward's eyes were slits. "You approve of this?" Was she one of them? He took a step back moving to subtly block the door once more.

Seeing the move, Seras inhaled. Then, she exhaled, quickly calming down. "Listen," she said. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make light of your situation, war sucks, but you eight have single handedly done something that no youkai could ever do. Those fleabags have been holed up in their barrier since man decided that powdered wigs were fashionable and the gun was the weapon of choice. And believe me, not even the asshole's brother has been able to make him budge.

They are so incredibly stubborn. I was there when they finally left Japan. Koga was very adamant on the subject. 'There's way too many of these human's,' he said." She lowered her voice and grunted. "They stink and are eating all of our food, then killing us when we try to eat theirs. We leaving, blah, blah" she trailed off when she noticed everyone staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Who's Koga?" Esme inquired. She looked up at Carlisle, "Was there a Koga there in the beginning?"

Emmett watched her, his hand wrapped lazily around the hip of his wife. "We haven't heard of a Koga. Maybe he changed his name."

"Or died." Edward offered.

Seras just stared at them. Then she jumped to her feet, her eyes blazing. "Koga's dead?!" She bared a fang. It was thin and long a telling difference from those they were used to seeing."When did he come out of his barrier? Why wasn't anyone notified? Did you kill him?" She breathed. "What about the rest of the pack?"

She was shaking ready to storm out or attack. Jasper couldn't tell which. However, he did understand what she was feeling. He also had an inclining that there was something wrong with the conversation. "I think, we may be talking of two different things," he said softly. The dragon looked down at him, her eyes unreadable still he could read her emotions. She was trembling in grief. He pitied her. "The wolves we fight are not your kind. If they were, your presence wouldn't have been such a shock as it were." He motioned towards the couch. When she didn't budge, he sighed and leaned his head on his fist. "The wolves are humans with the power to change into giant versions of the animal."

Carlisle nodded finding slight relief as he watched the girl slowly calm down. "There is something in their genetics that trigger the change when vampires are in the area. They are a native tribe and their legends say that this ability came down to them from their ancestors."

"So they are free changing werewolves?" When she noticed a couple of heads shake, she corrected herself. "Shape-shifters." Seras relaxed her mind going into many directions all at once. She sat down. "Either way, I'm headed in that direction. The fact that there are humans with such power intrigues me, it might be something passed down from a youkai. Koga and his tribe has got to be hidden somewhere on their reservation. His brother mentioned that they lived around here."

"Is it safe for you to go?" Bella asked. There was a frown on her lips, a product of the disappointment that was quickly filling her heart.

"Youkai can change humans?" Seras had looked down at her when Edward cut in.

Her eyes slanted in his direction. She watched him carefully. "It's nothing so simple as a bite, but it can be done." She said eventually. She looked away. "It's not a recommended choice, though. Such transformations always come with heavy consequences. Humans were not given such power for a reason. Only a select few are worthy, and those already have powers of their own. There are a few cases of people who were changed and the results are always devastating." Briefly an image of long curly black hair, red eyes, and a glowing purple bubble flittered through her mind before she banished it. She'd rather not think of that villain.

Bella heard the warning, but shook her head. "Is it safe for you to go?" She asked again. "You said your flame went out."

Emmett's eyes jerked from the game. "Can you show us?"

Seras gulped and looked up at Carlisle knowing he disapproved without even guessing. Still, he met her gaze head on, before he nodded. Everyone watched the exchange, but didn't comment.

Seras took a breath and looked towards Emmett. Her eyes hardened and focused, glaring at a point by his ear. He waited, but nothing happened. He was about to crack a joke when he saw something move in the fire beside her. He leaned forward causing his wife to squeak as his hand grasped her in appropriately with the action.

Rosalie glared at him before a flicker of light catch her eye. She too turned towards the fireplace then gasped.

The flame was moving. Bella leaned forward trying to see past her friend as the plasma melded and swayed before a section snapped off, rising gently like a feather on the wind.

Light reflected eerily off of Carlise's eyes, off of the cold steel of Edward's, as the section grew wings and feathers. A tail flattened and shifted as it flew out of the fire flying slowly and delicately around the room before another formed then another. Three phoenixes the size of a sparrow rose out of the flame circling between each person before two landed on the stiff waxy wicks of the unlit candles over the fireplace and the other onto Seras's finger. She watched it as it tweeted and flittered about ignorant that its maker was breathing heavy and sweating. Perhaps, it had been too soon. Her heart was beating too fast.

Slowly, she looked up at Carlisle and he quickly nodded indicating that it was enough. Relieved, Seras let go of her magic and the bird faded turning into nothing but smoke, the others leaving the candles lit.

Bella looked down at the girl's hands where the bird had been resting only moments earlier. "You are still recovering."

"And you smell like us," Alice spoke up. "Even if your wolf youkai exist on the reservation, you have spent too much time with us. The humans will sniff you out and kill you just for the association."

Seras snorted, "As if I was so easy to kill. And I have spent enough time around canines to know how get around their noses. That's a problem, but only a slight one. It's getting into the barrier before getting mauled by your enemies that is the problem. That could be time consuming and risky. The backlash alone would draw unnecessary attention and paperwork." Seras sighed, what was she to do? "Either way, I wish to spend some time researching the tribal legends first. I want to be certain of what I'm headed into before I take such actions."

Bella's eyes lit up. "Forks' Library has plenty of info."

"I also wish to make sure you are fully up to speed," Carlisle muttered.

"You are not leaving."

Seras blinked up at Edward. The statement seemed too out of character. She opened her mouth to argue, but Emmett beat her to it. "Don't even bother," he said nonchalantly. "Those three are known for getting their way."

"Tell me about it," Rosalie muttered crossing her arms.

"It seems like they wish for you to stay a little bit longer," Esme piped up. "I don't mind. I like cooking."

"The pleasure is ours, Miss. Victoria." Jasper nodded.

Seras looked from him to his wife who just looked at her uncertainly. She eyed Seras sweatpants and hoodie. "You need clothes."

"No, she doesn't," Emmett grunted once again staring at the basketball game. Michigan was winning by a point, he didn't know whether to cry or laugh. "She's already dug through my things. And they look good on her, don't they, babe." He lovingly tapped Rosalie's hip.

She glowered, "You only say that just so you can say that a dragon wore your clothes."

"What?!" He exclaimed cockily. "Who else gets to say that?"

As the two began to bicker and the rest began to rise to go about their business, Seras just sat floored in her corner unable to do anything but stare. She opened her mouth ready as if to protest, but Bella beat her to it. "Just take the gift. It will be okay."

Bella smiled softly before moving to go up stairs. Edward followed her silently, while Esme rose from the couch mentioning something about fixing her diner. Seras blushed. Not knowing what else to do, she looked to the one who had put her there.

Carlisle's eyes were soft with fatigue, but they were laughing. He nodded up to his office. Seras knowing an order when she heard it blushed and gingerly rose from the couch. It was time that they talked.


	12. Chapter Twelve: Out of the Dark

"What would you do Alucard, if you ever found her again?" An eye opened in the dark. It looked down at the beads. Then they glided towards the butler before a deep rumbling voice danced elegantly in the air. Like a sonnet on the wind, he spoke...

_"Pray you never meet him."_

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Out of the Dark, Confession**

* * *

The room was dark, dank, silent and still like flesh on a dead body. Like blood pooled underneath it, it sat lonely, stale, unfeeling, and repulsive. Yet even as the dust lay silent on the cold stone floor, as the cobwebs hung undisturbed draped like Spanish moss in a mutilated tree, it lived, this darkness. It moved. It had a face and a name.

The man that was not a man, whose thick red coat cloaked him like a robe, like blood dripping from a wound, whose slick white gloves creaked and groaned with each delicate movement of his slender fingers vaguely wrinkling the dark pentagram etched in the soft fabric, shifted imperialistically in his chair that was not a chair, on his throne that was as tall as the ceiling and as narrow as his heart.

The darkness shifted as did he. In thick great lines of ink, it oozed around him as the man's fingers gently caressed the thin delicate stem of his wine glass. He crossed his legs and twirled the goblet, watching the liquid inside slither and spiral from one side to the other like the coils of a snake, like the sea in a storm. The sight was memorizing. The smell poignant, rich like the stench of wine, vibrant and intimate like the aroma of a woman. The glass stopped moving and the darkness settled blending seamlessly into thick straight hair, black like the night sky, black like his suit and the dungeon walls around him.

Still, the man cared naught. His eyes, his glowing dark rubies dulled with coarse memory as he closed them. Yet, even as he dipped them further in darkness, it was not the darkness that he saw. Spiky blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, long muscular legs, the image haunted him, taunted him, reminding him viciously of his chains and his loss. He twirled the goblet once more before placing it soundlessly onto the small table beside him.

Then, in the darkness, white cold gloves disappeared burrowing deep into pockets hidden in the neatly lined crevices of his coat. They reemerged reverently caressing a string of thick violet beads, round and heavy, accented with 12 white fangs that shone grey in the surrounding blackness. He lifted them to his nose smelling perfume that had long since faded. His fingers longingly caressed the slick smooth pottery feeling skin and scales instead. He gracefully slouched further into his chair and uncrossed his legs.

Then, somewhere in the dark a door creaked then slammed. Footsteps drummed as they shuffled, walking slowly towards him before pausing by his side near the table. The monster didn't flinch, didn't move, even when two aged hands wrapped in thick cow's leather gently placed a small tin bucket on the coarse wooden surface next to him, next to his glass filled with blood, next to the other upended waiting like him for a use and a purpose.

A sigh disturbed the silence before an aged voice cracked in the darkness. "Reminiscing, my friend?"

An eye opened ringed in the black stillness of the room. It looked down at the beads and then over at the butler before a deep rumbling voice danced elegantly in the air, like a sonnet on the wind. It was soft and gritty like sandpaper, but clear even to the old man's hearing. "It's been 60 years to the day, Walter," the monster spoke, his fingers twirling a bead. "Reminisce is the least of what I do."

The old man smiled knowing that the movement was seen and acknowledged. Gracefully, he bowed placing his softly gloved hand on his left shoulder. "Sir Integra wishes to see you, Master Alucard."

The eye blinked lazily before two lanky arms bent wrapping two massive hands around the solid cold arms of his throne that was not a throne. The man, then, hefted himself to his feet and walked across the floor ignoring the cloudy blue eyes that watched his every movement, monitoring it like the focused lens of a camera. Before he reached the door, the butler spoke again causing the darkness to still. "From friend to friend, what would you do Alucard, if you ever found her again?"

His answer was silence, still and unmoving like the room around him until the monster turned placing the beads back in his jacket. He looked down at the elderly gentleman behind him, his sharp smile glowing white in the darkness. "I believe, my friend, that you know the answer to that question. It's the same every year you ask it." The man's smile didn't fade, even when he turned once again to continue his journey towards the door.

The butler sighed and shook his head. Turning it slightly, he regarded the tin bucket on the table beside him. It had been full, but now it was empty as was the fragile glass next to it. A ghost of a smile flittered across his face before he looked back towards the door unsurprised to find the room empty. The old man huffed before gathering himself. Correcting the position of the monocle along his right eye, Walter once again prepared to climb the unending set of stairs back to the kitchens. It would be a long night.

* * *

Seras slammed a thick heavy book on the table causing Bella to jump slightly.

Bella looked up. She quickly eyed the book, then her friend. Her smile broadened as she huffed, her shoulders bouncing and hopping like a jack rabbit. Seras glowered. "Frustrated," Bella taunted.

Avoiding her knowing eyes, Seras absently stared at Bella's ironed straight hair and gentle small hands draped around a pen and a book. Pulling her chair back, she gingerly sat down and started to fumble through the musty crisp pages of her own. She couldn't quite contain her sigh. "No, just tired," she murmured. In spite of the fact that the tribe was only a cow's leap away from the small town, Seras was surprised at how little and undetailed the information was at its local library. She crinkled her eyebrows and looked up at the girl in front of her. "Didn't you say that this place had plenty of sources?"

Bella smiled guiltily, not even attempting to give her an excuse. She wiped her eyes and Seras's gaze softened.

Bella was dressed incognito and she looked miserable. She wore brown contacts that made her eyes watery, red and scratchy. Her skin was covered in makeup which, though it was expertly done, she could easily tell it was numerous shades darker that it should have been. When Bella rubbed her eye, she groaned. It watered even more.

Seras bit her lip before speaking further. "You didn't have to come, you know. You look awful."

"I know," Bella sighed. "But I wanted to help. I thought the library had more than this." She fingered the pages of the textbook in front of her as she turned and regarded the basement around them. The room archived all of the material on local history and with its tall metal shelves, metal spiral staircase and desks littered between the stacks, it made her feel like she was sitting in a tin can. It was uncomfortable and cramped, but also isolated. This was the only and most valuable pro to the tight setting. They were alone and free to talk openly. _It would do_, she thought. "Anyway," she whispered. "I have something for you."

Seras stopped scanning her book and watched Bella begin to shuffle through her book bag.

"I wanted to give this to you yesterday, but I thought it was best to do it out of sight of everyone else. I'm not sure how they would take it." Gingerly, Bella pulled out a thin scraggly notebook from the worn violet bag. It was crinkled with pages torn out and torn where pages were stapled in. The cover was bent and folded as was the ends of the metal spiral binding everything together.

Seras pushed her book to the side as Bella placed the filled black notebook in front of her. She eagerly watched as Seras opened it delicately going through each page. Her smile softened as she saw the dragon's face wrinkle and then smooth out; her eyebrows popping into her bangs.

Seras jerked her eyes to the girl. They were so large that Bella laughed. "Why do you look so surprised?"

Seras studied her a moment before leaning back in her chair. Uncertainty made her close the notebook momentarily and begin to push it away. "I can't take this."

Bella smiled making her eyes water faster. She rubbed them while she slid the notebook back towards her. "Don't worry. It's okay. It's not everything, but it's all I was able to dig up on them." She stopped and corrected herself. She licked her lips. "On us, ever since the beginning when I first had questions about Edward… when I first met him. It has some articles about the general folklore of vampires that I'd found and as I learned more, I just kept recording things, you know, for later reference."

Amazed, Seras began leafing through the pages. She quickly scanned through the photocopied articles, but then slowed down to carefully look over the information scribbled out in Bella's surprisingly neat handwriting. Absently, she listened as Bella continued explaining her notes. "You said you were an anthropologist and everything. And I thought, you might be interested in having some notes on us for any research you might need if, you know, you might want to write on us or something. "

"This is very well put together," Seras praised, but the compliment didn't soften the slight crease in Seras's forehead.

Uncertain, Bella leaned forward. "Is something wrong?"

Seras stopped reading, her finger marking the page on vampire transformations. She closed the book and looked up at the girl with an unreadable expression curling through her eyes. "This information, its incriminating for you isn't it?"

In the back of her mind, Seras recalled her conversation with Carlisle the evening prior.

* * *

Together, they'd strolled up stairs headed for his office when a thought suddenly struck him. Immediately, Carlisle apologized and pushed her on a head. Then, he detoured mentioning something about talking to Bella and everyone about meeting her father. Though she had been slightly hurt about not being included in the conversation, Seras quickly shrugged it off remembering that this wasn't her family. That it wasn't her home and she was only a temporary guest. Slowly, she walked into the office pushing the door open before silently closing it behind her. Then, she went to sit on the couch near the desk. Her thoughts were sluggish, dull like the second hand of the clock beside her.

Absently, she fingered the soft fabric of her gi, which rested unforgotten on the seat beside her. Silently, she gathered it up, quickly removing her things from the hidden pockets in the sleeves; a cell phone, a wallet, and a small golden coin surrounding a small black marble. Shoving them into the pocket of her hoodie, Seras roughly folded the gi and brought it up to her nose. She took a whiff and frowned. Quickly she unfolded it, holding the old shirt out in front of her. It was dirty and slightly worn. It needed a wash.

Just as she pondered the thought of obtaining the use of their washing machine, the door to the office quickly swung open. It revealed a happily smiling father vampire as he breezed into the room. He looked at her a moment before strolling over to his desk starting to briskly ruffle through his bottom desk drawers. "Sorry about that," he said. He spoke quickly, the words floating in the air easily like a happy tone. "The police man you met earlier was Bella's father." He looked up catching briefly Seras's nod before going back to his drawers. "He wanted to meet with everyone tomorrow and I was making sure it was okay with everybody. Of course, you are invited."

He sighed. "Bella's change has everyone on edge."

"Because of the wolves," Seras interrupted to which Carlisle nodded easily.

"That and her very nature, newborns are normally agitated and violent with no control over their instincts." Finding what he needed, he quickly pulled out a black bag from under his desk along with a notebook and a pen. "But Bella's change is the exact opposite. She can resist her urges to hunt. We've never seen the like and so have begun to reintroduce her back into her life little by little. Esme said with her makeup she did wonderfully with her mother and the colleges. Even Edward agreed that it would be okay to meet with her father now. It's surreal." Carlisle grabbed his things and moved to sit with her on the couch placing everything on the coffee table. "Everything should be okay until we are ready to pick up and move." He watched her gather her clothing together, which she had refolded on his way in.

Seras just looked at him. "So, you are not staying in the area?"

Carlisle shook his head. "We can't. It would be unwise. The wolves are smart and it's foolish to think that they won't catch on to what's happened. I don't want any unnecessary causalities, because of it, on either side. It's better, therefore, that we retreat. We've done it before and the move was inevitable, anyway. With my children's frozen ages, we cannot stay in one place for long."

Again, Seras nodded. "But Bella would lose contact with her father and mother."

"I know," Carlisle replied lowering his eyes. "She knew this going in. But she's singularly focused on Edward and the Volturi. I don't think she's actually sat down to think about the additional consequences for her choice."

Seras slanted her eyes, "She chose to be changed?"

"And she got her wish."

"Leaving all of you to clean up her mess." As much as Seras favored the girl, she couldn't quite swallow the slight disappointment and pity that resulted from hearing about her exploits. They mirrored too much of her own. "Your race, you have destined mates don't you?" When Carlisle nodded, she continued. "The instinct to stay with one's mate is strong. It can turn even the most selfless of hearts selfish. Her choice was selfish, but I understand it."

Carlisle sighed and turned to lean back into the couch. "It wasn't much of choice," he admitted. His eyes were staring at the shelves across from him, but they were vacant in his mind. He wasn't seeing them.

"It was in the beginning and not everyone could accept her enthusiasm, Rosalie and Edward being the main ones. But then, the Volturi found out that a human was made known of our existence and ordered us to change her or kill her. That was nearly a year ago and Edward's had been dragging his feet." The man stopped blinking occasionally before he took a deep breath. "It's been one thing after another the past two years between the wolves, them and other nuisances." He gritted his teeth as the events involving Victoria raced through his mind. "I wonder if this will ever come to an end. Will we ever find peace, again?"

His voice trailed off. Seras just looked at him before turning to stare at the bag on his table. She took a breath before she spoke. "Peace comes at a high price and it's never a permanent thing. The creatures of this earth can never settle for one or the either and so war and peace cycle like the seasons. Humans weren't made to experience these seasons for long. Your short lives attest to that, but you are no longer human." Seras looked over at him meeting his eyes steadily. "At least in body. You've experienced the harshness of this world longer that you ought and yet your heart has not been stained as others like you. It's natural for you to weary, but you have lived 300 years, Dr. Cullen, long enough for you to know that what you are going through will end one day, one way or another."

"Though tears may fall in the evening, joy comes in the morning." Carlisle softly muttered the well known verse easily. "I guess, there is some value to being the son of a priest," he chuckled. "I don't mean to belabor the issue with you." He shook his head as he lifted a hand to his face. "Poor Bella, she'll have to face this, but at least she will not do so alone, like I did. We'll be there when reality finally hits her, as will Edward. Regardless, at least we'll try to give her closure with her family. That relieves me a little."

"Who are the Volturi?" Again Seras interrupted, causing Carlisle to lower his hand and look at her.

"They are the royalty, the leaders of our race." He crinkled his eyebrows. "You've killed my kind, but don't know enough about us to know who to avoid?"

Immediately, Seras's face colored causing Carlisle to laugh and sit up. It reminded him why he wanted to talk to her in the first place. She watched him open his leather bag and rolled her eyes. "Did you make house calls, or something? And I'm fine."

Carlisle sighed. It was long and full of tormented suffering, a testament to how often they had this conversation. "Why won't you just let me be the judge on that?"

"Because I don't trust doctors is what," she huffed. "They fiddle with you, give you medicine you don't need and screw you out of your money."

Carlisle's chuckle was full and hearty. "Is that it? It sounds like you ran into too many crooked doctors in your time. Open," he commanded raising a tongue depressor and a flashlight.

Seras obeyed glaring boorishly. "My time? What is that supposed to mean? You make me sound ancient."

Carlisle perked an eyebrow. "700 years," he reminded as he looked down her throat. Pleased, he moved to her eyes. Automatically, she strove to not stare at the white glow piercing her vision. He tried not to laugh at her pout.

"Still, I am not old." She muttered. "And you didn't answer my question." She tried not to move when he pulled aside her hair to get to her ears. When he paused, she turned to watch him her eyes glowing through the shadows of her bangs. "What," she demanded.

Snapping back from his shock, the doctor smiled. It was soft. "Your ears are pointed." His voice was light, almost excited.

For a second, Seras just looked at him before turning to look in front of her. She glared letting him continue his examination. "Humans," she mumbled.

"Vampire," Carlisle corrected completely unfazed by her comment. "And you didn't answer mine."

Seras sighed. "I've come across your kind once or twice, both because the individuals mistook me for a human. Other than that, I haven't really taken the time to establish a contact with one of you so that I could study you. I just haven't thought of it." She shrugged.

Carlisle nodded and returned to sitting in front of her. He placed a hand on her forehead feeling her cool skin. It was warmer than before, but not hot like he figured she'd be. He moved to place the back of his hand against her cheek while Seras watched his face crinkle in concern.

"Where are the Volturi and what do they allow?"

"Allow," Carlisle asked absently moving to examine her neck trying to feel for swollen glands.

"Rules," Seras explained. "Bella said there were rules?"

"There are laws punishable by death. They are there to ensure that our species remains unknown to humans." Carlisle bent and retrieved a stethoscope from his bag as he calmly explained. "For example, one should keep hunts inconspicuous, false witness is forbidden."

"Blatant speech of what you are to humans?" Seras watched him her eyes trying to bore into his, but he was distracted focused solely on listening to her heart beat. His face was still crinkled as if he couldn't figure something out. Frustrated, Seras pulled the ends from his ears causing him to glare down at her. She glared back. "What about me," she asked.

A beat of silence passed before she opened her mouth to confess her discovery. "You are being watched." When Carlisle didn't react, Seras began to gather the stethoscope, but his calm hands stilled her movements. "I saw a girl today, one of you. She was young, maybe 15 with blonde hair and piercing red eyes."

"That's Jane," Carlisle breathed. "She's one of Aro's children and very powerful." At the look of confusion in her eyes, Carlisle moved to explain further. "Aro is the leader of the coven and their seat of power resides in Italy in a town called Volturia."

_Italy?! _Seras screamed in her mind. _Vatican country?! How?!_

Though he could see her surprise, Carlisle pressed on misunderstanding it. "We are aware that their sights are on set us. They have been since they learned of Bella and Alice. Aro is very power hungry and is greedy for vampires with strong gifts to further strengthen his army. The issue with Bella's turning was only an excuse for him to turn his eyes our way. His real desire is to get a hold of Alice."

"Because of her visions." Seras nodded understanding immediately. She had heard that story before. Psychic abilities were always well sought after by powerful ambitious men.

"Did she see you?"

At Carlisle's question, Seras looked up at him and nodded. "Then she ran to the east." Her face fell making the simple elegant lines of her face harden like marble. "I have brought more hardship to you."

Slowly, Carlisle shook his head, though inside he was cursing. "Nothing is sure yet," he said eventually. "We will not jump to conclusions, but I will make the others aware. The laws apply to humans and you, my dear, are no human."

"But laws are determined by the ones who interpret them. There maybe a loophole."

Carlisle took a breath. "There maybe."

* * *

"It maybe, but you're not human." Bella defended. "If it was, wouldn't they have killed the wolves by now? They know everything, too."

"They do," Seras agreed, her eyes scanning the pages one by one. "But they aren't in your everyday life like I am now, and this is hard evidence that could be…" Seras's voice trailed off as her eyes caught something on the page. She tilted her head. "Your skin shines in the sunlight?"

Bella bit her lip not quite certain of Seras's tone. It was somewhere between amused and disgusted. Nervously, she tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "It's an ability."

Seras nodded, her face once again clearing of its amusement. "You know, they say that Lucifer was the most beautiful angel before he fell. Tell me pup, do you think that he lost his looks after he fell from grace?"

Bella just blinked at her before leaning back. "I'm not really religious, but isn't there some saying about him coming as an angel of light."

Seras looked at her from over the notebook. "There is. Beauty is very seductive," she said watching her intently. "But on a religious level, light can also be used to manipulate as well. There are accounts." Immediately, she rose to her feet and began to shuffle through the pile of books in front of her. Bella watched on taking in the girl's long black hair. It was braided back and covered with an Irish cap. She was also wearing a long trench coat that blended seamlessly with her wings and matched the grey turtle neck and black slacks, which Alice had picked out for her. It was very complimentary, she thought before Seras exclaimed and reached forward finding a small paperback.

"Ah! Here it is," she said opening a page. "Anna Rice," she looked over at Bella catching her eye. "She mentions something about this in one of her novels and I'd had a run in with her source. He's mentioned something of the like to me as well.

"In Christianity, the ability to glow is a symbol and reflection of God's holiness and glory. It's the reason why angels glow for they are constantly in the presence of God. Moses, it is written, that when he had descended from the mountain of God that his face glowed. He had to veil it, because the people couldn't look at it, it was so bright. Christ is also recorded to have glowed, shinning like the sun, on occasion." Seras looked down at the pup and laughed at the confusion on her face. She smiled and placed the book in front of her. It was turned to a page depicting a monster with sharp teeth protruding from his mouth. He was freely gnawing on limbs with people bowed before him. Seras breathed. "With the powers of your species, glowing is only an added bonus that would make seducing the 'godly' quite easy. Unlike your counter parts, who are designed to insight fear and seduce the ungodly. It seems you are just on the opposite end of the spectrum. While they entice those of the night, you ensnare those of the day. Two difference species, equally dangerous, but in different ways."

Bella, unsure of what to think, flipped through a few pages of the book before turning to the cover. She read the title. "The Traditional Vampire, by Rocita Michaelis Vit Sears." She looked up at her friend. "Is this yours?" At Seras's nod, she smirked. "Some pen name." She shook her head dispelling the thought before she returned to the topic at hand. "You talk as if there are others like us."

Seras smirked and sat down. She leaned back in her chair eyeing the girl that sat opposite her. "You didn't honestly think that your kind was all that there was." She tilted her head. At Bella's blank stare, she continued. "The stories, the legends. Coffins, garlic, aversion to holy items, they had to have a source."

Bella swallowed. "But Edward…"

"His knowledge is limited. I imagine he has probably never seen one, for the traditional vampire is nearly extinct. Humans hunted them and I'm sure your kind also has had some conflict with them as well. Being able to walk in the day has its advantages," she said. Seras turned and looked out the window next to them gazing at the cloudy world outside. It wasn't raining, but the sky looked like it wanted too. "Now, all that's left of them are synthetic vampires created by men who long for power. Even they are hunted and quelled. They are what humans expect in your species so that is what they have prepared for unaware of the dangers that walk among them shining in the sun." Seras turned regarding Bella's brown-red eyes filled with uncertainty. She thought of Italy and the Vatican.

Still, she was pulled from her thoughts easily when Bella spoke further. "Have you seen one of these?"

Seras looked at her before turning away. "I have met a true Nosferatu."

"Really?" Bella replied half excited. "What-What was he like?"

Seras eyed the girl uncertain. "He's the devil," she said plainly. She leaned forward to gather the books around her. "Pray you never meet him."

Bella, noticing her packing, turned to look at the clock hung on the wall behind her. It was 4:45pm and they were due to meet her father at 5'o clock, she sighed. "I'm not looking forward to this."

Seras looked over at her with a kind smile pulling at her lips. "Nervous," she asked.

Bella rubbed her eyes and started to pack up her things, her lips tight in a pout. "He'll ask questions."

"And you'll answer them the best you can."

"It'll be awkward."

"For both of you, but you'll not be alone." Seras said looking away, her eyes distant. "You should enjoy the time you have with him now. It's precious and you'll regret it if you don't, maybe not now, but years down the road once the time has passed and you can't go back to fix it." Seras didn't speak further, her mind traveling to a time that Bella couldn't reach. Bella crinkled her eyebrows watching her friend. She didn't answer.

Silence surrounded them both long after they had gathered their belongings and abandoned the small little room. Climbing the stairs, the two waltzed together through the main lobby of the small library. Then, they exited the brick building before turning left headed for the small corner dinner located at the end of the street. The air was winter crisp, but the day, in spite the clouds, was bright and their path clear. Grass could be seen peaking through the melting snow. It was promise of spring, of life fighting to rise from the dead. It brought a smile to Seras's face, even as she felt the rising unease building in her young friend. On whim, she knocked her shoulder into Bella's her smile beaming. "Don't worry," she whispered. "He's your father."

Surprised, Bella looked at her before she laughed catching Seras's smile like a cold. Though her unease didn't fade, she could feel her panic ebb even as she opened the glass door and stepped in.


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Into Suggestion

A restaurant and a waitress

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Into Suggestion, A Discovery**

* * *

The restaurant was small and dingy. The florescent lights blared, the tables were bare, and the chairs cheap, but the place was quiet and warm, though it smelt like grease and spilt ketchup. Still, the stench easily crinkled Seras' nose causing Bella to laugh softly. Smiling, she readjusted the strap of her book bag. "It's not that bad," she said, lifting the squishy band over her shoulder. "This is my dad's favorite place. Apparently, the steaks are really good."

Regardless, Seras' grimace spread further across her face, scrunching it up like white tissue paper. "And yet, you talk as if you never had one."

Bella bit her lip, her smile still pulling at their edges. She avoided her gaze. "Because they haven't really appealed to me, doesn't mean it's bad or anything. Really!"

Seras rolled her eyes, not entirely assured. Silently, she watched as Bella searched the cluttered nearly empty dining room for her father. However, when a flash of light caught her eye, her gaze shifted quickly. Curiously, she slanted it towards the TV tucked carelessly in the back. It showed two civil war soldiers wearing the royal blue uniforms of the north. Tucked haphazardly in a ditch, they were both dirty and battle worn, holding long brown rifles to their broad heaving chests. Their heads were ducked and their shoulders slouched as if they were bracing themselves under heavy gun fire. Her nose wrinkled further as she watched the soldier on the left lift a thick smoking cigar to his lips and curse. Disgusted, she turned back to the pup. The girl promptly caught her father's anxious gaze and waved. Quickly, she led Seras to a large 10 top in the back. Her smile broadened when she noted that the rest of the Cullen family was already present. They looked as if they had arrived only a few minutes before.

Immediately, Charlie stood up, his gaze scanning hungrily over his daughter. Seeing her watery irritated eyes, and almost sickly pale skin glowing oddly in the bright glaring lights, his face folded in concern. "Got a cold, Bells? Maybe, you shouldn't have come if you are sick." He moved to hug her, the motion jerky and awkward.

Bella bit her lip, hesitantly returning his embrace. Her movements were just as stiff and bumbling as his. Consciously, she avoided placing her face near the corded muscles of his throat. Still, even as she neared him, she could see the detailed ridges of his skin expand and contract. She could hear the moist sounds of his throat swell as he swallowed, flex as he breathed accenting the soft steady throbbing of his heart beating, pounding, pumping his rich blood through his… She blinked and shifted her gaze opting instead to stare at his brown winter jacket and the swirled embroidery on his shoulders.

When they parted, Seras could easily feel the apprehension in the room diminish rapidly. Subtly, she looked around at the other vampires. Their smiles were soft and sweet, but she could see the tension in the way they carried themselves. Tensing their shoulders, alerting their gazes, they were prepared to act if pushed. She admired their control and praised Bella for hers.

Charlie shivered as he stepped away. "You're freezing, too." He looked down at her, his face wrought with worry.

Bella smiled, the movement subtle and forced. "I'll be fine Dad," she mumbled. She scratched her arm, a gesture born out of nervousness, not need. Sighing, she looked up at him. "I caught something on the island and just haven't quite recovered yet. That's all."

Immediately, he took a step back, his brow perking. "It isn't contagious is it?"

Seras laughed, catching his attention. She smiled even as the doctor moved to answer his question. "She should be fine, Charlie," Carlisle said. "It's just a small cold."

Officer Swan nodded before smiling sheepishly. His worry didn't quite fade with his frown. "I guess I should trust what the doctor says, right?" He sighed and stepped back further so his daughter could greet her husband. He watched them kiss before shifting his attention to Seras.

"I see you survived the night," he said, his eyes carefully scanning her face. He was almost disappointed to see her face paint removed. _I guess it did wash off._

Seras's smile was genuine. She blushed before moving to shake the cop's hand. Charlie obliged, pumping it firmly.

"Your Uncle wasn't too hard on you, I hope."

"Uncle Carlisle," she asked, ignoring the seven pairs of eyes now staring at her. "He understood. He wasn't too upset."

Charlie put a hand on his hip, while lifting the other to rub the back of his neck. "Well, that's a relief," he admitted. "He did not look too pleased with you when I dropped you off in my cruiser. I was a little concerned."

Seras's laugh was dry and humorless. _His tact is amazing._

Emmett, knowing dirt when he saw it, smirked. His lips twisted to the side, subtly allowing a small dimple to dig slyly into his left cheek. "Get arrested did you, Cousin?"

Seras glared back at him, and huffed. "Absolutely not," she replied.

"No," Carlisle agreed, "just snuck out of the house, but not before finding your Christmas light switch, my dear." He looked down at Esme, who just looked at him and laughed.

Her gaze skipped to Seras. She smiled. "Did you like the display? I designed it myself."

Seras nodded as she moved to sit at the table. She remembered being told about Esme's job as an architect. That she'd designed the very house they were living in. "It is very elegant," she complimented. "I enjoy the simplistic lighting the best. Even three months later."

"That's great an all," Emmett interrupted sitting down at the same time. "But that still doesn't tell us why you ended up in the cop's car."

Seras exhaled and placed her bag of library books under the table near her feet. "It wasn't a big deal. I just went to get make up and met Officer Swan on the way. He saved me, actually."

"Charlie, please." Charlie chuckled even as he pulled out the chair next to her. "You exaggerate. But you did do a number on that boy, though. You nearly broke his jaw."

"Boy?" Esme crinkled her brow. "You punched someone?"

"Right, Seras!" Emmett cheered. It earned him an elbow from Rosalie, a glare from Seras, and a roll of the eyes from everyone else. Emmett and Rosalie had sat down together positioning themselves between Edward and Alice.

Jasper looked up, sitting down on the other side of his wife. His face was tight with concern and curiosity. "What happened?"

"I was assaulted and punched the guy," Seras mumbled. She scooted to the side, as she felt Esme wiggle in between her and Carlisle. "I wouldn't have done anything, if they hadn't slapped me. It was self-defense."

"It was all innocent fun," Charlie protested. Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on the table, while he folded his hands. "I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it."

Seras' snort was enough to convey how much she believed that statement. She shook her head and casually looked down at the table, noticing that it was already littered with cups and menus. She raised an eyebrow as she reached for the large green tumbler in front of her. "Water," she questioned before taking a sip.

"We hope it was alright, Seras. We weren't sure what you preferred."

She looked over at Jasper before nodding. Lazily, she placed the plastic cup back onto the table. "It's fine for me, but what about you?"

As the family looked at each other, Charlie spoke up. "Don't worry, kid. Bells already told me of the banquet they are all going to this evening. Apparently, they aren't eating so they have room for later." Abruptly, he blinked down at her. "You know, she didn't mention you at all. You aren't going?"

Putting down the glass, Seras shook her head. She licked her lips, then placed her hands in her lap. "No, my attention is needed elsewhere," she said. Promptly, she reached for a menu and split it open, hoping that he wouldn't ask any other questions like why, or where, or anything that would cause her to lie. She inwardly grimaced. She hated lying. She sucked at it.

Immediately, Charlie reached over and closed it on her. "Don't bother with that," he said. "It's All You Can Eat Steak tonight." He plucked it from her fingers before pointing his thumb to the specials board hung on the wall behind him. Seras, quickly turned and read it, her eyes widening.

The man chuckled, his smile ghosting quickly across his lips as he watched her. Turning back, he eyed the doctor across from him. "This is good isn't it? Best idea I've ever had."

Carlisle smiled and leaned forward letting his hands caress the smooth cool glass sitting calmly in front of him. "I agree," he affirmed. "I'm sorry that we haven't done something like this earlier."

"Well," Alice jumped in. "We have an excuse now." Her eyes sparkled looking over at Edward and Bella.

Esme nodded. "You're right, we are a family now."

Alice smiled. "Don't they look so good together?"

"You and your smile look good together, Alice." Emmett interrupted.

Alice's grin wilted. Her pixie features sinking slightly as she looked over at him. Subtly, Jasper reached over to hold her hand.

Bella leaned forward, her eyes filled with concern. "Emmett has a point. You've been down lately and I've missed seeing it."

"Don't worry, Bella," Alice replied, trying to keep her voice cheerful. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

"Oh dear," Esme sighed cutting in gently. "Is there anything you need to talk about?"

"No, Mom. I'm okay."

Esme's eyebrows furrowed indicating that she didn't quite believe her. No one did, but before anyone could object, they were interrupted.

Their interruption was young and thin. She had long brown thick coarse hair pulled into two messy pig tails. As she abruptly pulled out a pencil and a small note pad, they bounced freely, the ends cascading down well past her hips. Her skin was tanned and her brown almond shaped eyes easily revealed that she had some kind of eastern ethnicity mixed within her. She smiled and introduced herself, her nose twitching faintly. "Well, it seems that your last two party members have arrived. Would you like to place your order? My name is Ayame."

Seras looked at her. While everyone else watched the girl with expectant looks, she squinted warily watching as she scanned the table. She couldn't place it, but there was something off in her voice, in her smile. The friendliness didn't quite reach her eyes, especially when she looked at the Cullen's. Casually, she leaned forward and rested an arm on the table. Only vaguely aware of Jasper's calculated stare, her hand wrapped gently around her glass once more. She met his gaze briefly before turning back to the girl looking pointedly at the silver beads braided in her hair.

Not indicating if she noticed Seras' scrutiny, the girl continued to speak. "Who would like to start? What about you, Miss?" She looked down at Bella, who sat next to her father. When she denied anything, she turned to Edward, then Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and on down the line, moving quickly when each vampire denied to order. However, when she reached Seras, she paused. Her eyes immediately focused on the four seals piercing through the soft pink flesh of her left ear. Promptly, her smile fell before she subtly eyed the line of vampires in the room. Then, she turned back to Seras. Her smile returned slyly, now painted blatantly cold, chillingly cold.

Seras met her stare calmly, her fingers drumming a steady tempo on her glass. Just as the girl was about to speak, the human, the only one at the table oblivious to the significance of the exchange, cut in, his smile carefree. "Don't worry about her, I'll order for the both of us."

The girl hesitated a moment before she blinked. She looked down at the man to her left. "Okay, what would you have?"

Officer Swan leaned back in his chair. "We will have the steak special please."

"Oh, the All You Can Eat Steak?" She pointed her small pencil at the board behind him before nodding quickly. She wrote down the order. "That's fine. How do you want it cooked?" She looked up and smiled.

"Medium with a baked potato, salad and the vegetables please." He rattled everything off, the words falling from his mouth, quick and to the point. Apparently, he had ordered this many times before.

Once again, Ayame nodded scribbling down the order before turning to Seras. She watched as Seras's finger began to run along the inner opening of her cup. She narrowed her eyes slightly. She tilted her head. "I like your earrings," she complimented. Her pencil pointed to her ears. "Tashio's, aren't they?"

Seras quietly nodded before looking away. "You're a collector, I see," she mumbled indicating the beads in the girl's hair. "Are they new?"

The girl shrugged. "As new as they come."

When Seras nodded, the girl continued. "What about yours? Are they new?"

Seras licked her lips. "I've had them a while," she answered carefully.

"I'm sure. They do look like they are from an earlier collection," The girl cooed softly. "They must be priceless. I can tell from here. Yet, I see that you have one missing." She smiled eyeing the hole in Seras's right ear. "It must be frustrating for you being so… exposed and naked with it gone. I would be frantic myself." Seras stared, her pupils contracting. Purposely, she ignored the stiffening of Edward's shoulders. "But hey," the girl continued, regardless. "It happens to the best of us, I guess. Anyway, what about you? How would you like your steak?"

At first, Seras didn't answer, but as the seconds dragged on, she opened her mouth. "Rare, please."

Charlie laughed, the sound clashing violently with the beady silence boiling to his right. "Wow! You like them mooing. I'm lucky if Bella even looks at a steak."

In spite of the tension, Seras still smiled. She stilled her movements long enough to look over at the pup. "I don't know, I've seen her wolf a few things down myself. Your daughter can eat if she really wants to."

Charlie huffed in complete disbelief while Bella let out a laugh that wasn't quite genuine. "I -I wouldn't say that," she stuttered tucking a piece of hair behind her ears.

Before Seras could comment, the waitress butted in, her tone filled with slight impatience. "What about sides," she asked. Then she smiled, abruptly switching to Japanese. "The cook is one of us, you know. He can fix your meat in a way that is suitable for our kind."

Caught, Seras eyed her, watching her carefully. She evaluated the situation before she casually shrugged. She answered back in the language, dismissing the looks she was receiving. "That would be fine," she said. "I don't want any sides. I can't eat them."

The girl wrote down the order, her eyes not watching the page, but staring instead at Seras's finger. Once again, it had started to fidget, to swirl lazily around the lid of the cup. She finished briefly. "I'll have something delivered anyway so it's not suspicious."

Seras nodded. She didn't care.

But then, the girl stopped writing and looked up at Seras, her eyes sparking mischievously. "And what about your…," she eyed the vampires at the table. "Pets," she said delicately. "We could always fix something for them." Her eyes dulled as her smile broadened. "We could make the blood look like cola. Or… We could always slaughter the human for you. It's what they were made for, after all. We could make it look like he was eaten by some mutt, or something."

Seras' eyes were slits. In milliseconds, her eyelids slammed partially shut, making her golden pupils barely visible through her lashes. Her face was hard as iron, her countenance stern and angry.

Charlie immediately coughed. Curiously, he looked up at the ceiling, searching for a vent. "Wow, did your heat just kick on?" He leaned back and unzipped his jacket. "It's normally very cozy," he complimented, "but today, you definitely do not need a coat in here at all." He laughed while he watched Esme put a hand over Seras's, discreetly forcing the girl to stop fidgeting.

Esme's smile was gentle as she met the waitress's eyes. In perfect fluent Japanese, she answered her. "Your offer is very tempting, but we've already eaten and don't need anything further."

Subsequently, Carlisle's soft tenor spoke up. He easily supported her while also displaying his own confidence with the language. "Thank you for the offer, all the same," he said. It caused the girl to look down at him, her face twisted in a look of mix surprise, disgust, and false pleasure. It twisted Seras's stomach.

"As you wish," she stuttered, letting her smile break across her face like a crack in a porcelain doll. "Your order will be right out." With that, the waitress excused herself and left.

Silently, Seras watched her leave before she took a deep breath. It was useless. She couldn't relax. She blinked, and looked down at her hand. It was still engulfed in Esme's cold palm, her marble white thumb slowly stroking the smooth skin of her knuckles.

Embarrassed, Seras immediately tried to break contact, but Esme held on, long enough for her to lean over and whisper into her ear. "Are you alright?"

Seras blinked before looking around the table. Everyone was just staring at her. It was nerve wracking. She swallowed before nodding. "Her insult," she began, speaking just as quietly.

Esme shook her head, her soft wavy hair bouncing with the movement. "It's okay. Let it go," she whispered. Once more, she brushed her thumb along the back of Seras's hand, then she removed it. "This is not the place."

After a moment, Seras nodded. She knew this. Taking another deep breath, she finally relaxed, fully removing her hand from her glass. In silence, she watched the little whirlpool, the tiny building vortex inside it, slowly settle. Then suddenly, a low whistle pulled her from her reverie.

"Wow, Seras!" Emmett exclaimed leaning back in his chair. He broke into nervous laughter that quickly matched the slowly easing tension at the table. Seras eyed him stretch before looking at Jasper. She accurately concluded that he was responsible for lifting the mood. At first, she had felt his gift an intrusion, but in times like these she could understand its value. She threw him a small tight smile. He caught it and nodded. Seeing it, she looked down at her place mat.

"So," Charlie drawled, his eyes looking down at her. He watched her play with the edges of the paper. "You've spent time in England, but are fluent in Japanese?" His eyes narrowed.

Looking up, she briefly smiled, her lips stretching nervously. "As I said, 'My parents traveled.'"

"Uh huh."

Seras watched him, eyeing the steep slant of his shoulders and the crinkled crow's feet lining his eyes. His irises, they were dark and hard, focused and piercing with curiosity ringing their depths. He didn't believe her. She knew this. She bit her lip uncertain on how to take it, or fix it.

"So," Carlisle sighed interrupting. "How's life at the precinct these days with that serial case downstate?"

_Of all the things to ask. _Officer Swan lifted an eyebrow and looked up at the man. Knowing a forced change of subject when he saw it, he grudgingly obliged. "Well," he said. "It's the same as it is without a serial case, slow. A domestic disturbance here, an accident there, but now we've added the constant look out for people with the description of the killer. All the hype remains downstate and they only tell us things that are on a need to know basis."

Esme hummed. "I feel so sorry about that young girl though."

"She's going to be pushed into the limelight because of this, all unprepared and alone." Carlisle said. "And then she'll be pushed through the foster care system. It's a mess."

"But hopefully her information is enough to get the guy," Charlie countered. "So many have died already. I'd hate to see more, or have it spread to yet another area."

* * *

As the conversation veered in the next 20 minutes, Seras remained quiet staring vaguely at her hands. She was unable to focus on anything beyond her thoughts, but that was before, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tan feminine hand jut gracefully across her vision. Slowly, it clanked a plate heavy with meat and potatoes on the table in front of her. It was turned in such a way that she could clearly see the red elegant horns of two facing parenthesis tattooed subtly on its wrist. Her frown deepened seeing the slight jagged jaws. They slyly peeked out from under the small leather band of its blue wrist watch. Seras took a breath and looked up at the girl watching as she placed a similar plate in front of the cop beside her. Only for a second did the girl return her stare. Her smile never left her face, never warmed either.

Pleased with his plate, Charlie looked at hers. He nudged her with his elbow. "Told you it wouldn't take too long, and that," he pointed to her plate, "looks beautiful."

Seras jerked from her stare. She hummed and lifted her fork before turning back to her plate. It did look delicious.

* * *

Carlisle leaned back in his chair letting one hand curl around the glass of water sitting in front of him, the other drawing small circles on the back of his mate. A smirk tugged on his lips, even as he watched the two in front of him dig into their plates. It pleased him how well the evening was going, in spite its numerous hiccups. The conversation was open, easy, interesting enough that no one cared that there were no plates in front of most of those seated around the table. He met the knowing smile of his wife. Silently, he caught it and tossed it back, all the while allowing his satisfaction to spread deeply into his heart and mind. It filled them with warmth like a home cooked meal. Casually, he sighed before turning to look at the rest of his family.

His eyes shifted from the cop and dragon to rest curiously on the two newlyweds. Bella was curled around her husband, more at ease than she was walking in, both more at ease than only a few days ago. _Perhaps, there was hope_, he mused. He smiled softly at the prospect before turning his head. Looking further down the table, he then spotted his second son and his wife. Emmett was laughing while Rosalie rolled her eyes. His smile broadened at the two, but the action was brief. He'd looked further and paused.

Eyeing Alice and Jasper, his smile faded. Alice either looked away, or down at her hands. Though she occasionally participated in the conversation, her input was only half-hearted. Her smile wasn't full and sure as it normally was. He lifted his glass to his lips pretending to take a sip as his eyes filled with uncertainty. She had never been the same since the night they found the dragon and she wasn't forthcoming as to the reasons why either, but he had a good hypothesis. He remembered the vision. It bothered him, like everyone else. He knew it wasn't a good sign, but he didn't know why, or how to address it. He did know this. Abandoning the dragon wasn't an option. Something inside tugged at him, told him that it would be a mistake. He couldn't explain it, but he could sense the feeling grow by the day. It…

He gritted his , he let his gaze shift away from her as he lowered his glass. Briefly, he let his eyes roll over the thoughtful face of his third son, Jasper, who sat next to him. He was staring at Seras, his face tight with concern. It jerked him from his thoughts. Carlisle crinkled his eyebrows before turning back to the girl, absently noting that the longer she ate the more his family members were staring. He took a breath and looked up.

There was nothing wrong with her table manners. That wasn't the issue. She used a fork and knife properly, almost too formally, he thought, though she slouched a little over her plate. It was almost as if she was guarding it. Her head was lowered and she didn't look up at anyone, didn't speak, but ate fast and meticulously. She didn't even look as if she was enjoying it either, just inhaling it without tasting, as if she'd never eaten before.

Carlisle was floored to say the least. Her human eating habits were almost the exact opposite of her dragon's form. They had to fight tooth and nail to get her to eat, but now...

"Dear?"

Carlisle jerked from his reverie as he felt his wife place a cold concerned hand on his arm. He blinked amazed at how long he had been watching her. She was already on her third helping. Once again, he glanced over the table. Everyone was now staring at her including the cop. He rose to his feet.

Cautiously, he walked around the table, thanking God that the building was now empty except for them. In the corner of his eye, he took in the time. It was almost 7. He swallowed noting also the position of their waitress. She was standing at the bar staring intently at the girl. Her hard glare made him uneasy. Still, he continued forward, slowly easing himself near his friend. She didn't seem to notice anything around her.

Meeting Jasper's eyes, he looked down at her before moving to speak. His voice was soft as he called her name. Yet, she didn't answer or stop. He tried again, this time slowly reaching to remove her plate.

He never touched it.

In less than a second, her warm slender hand dropped her knife and seized him tightly around his wrist, squeezing it almost painfully, even for him. Instantly Carlisle stilled even as the rest of the table looked on. His sons visibly tensed, ready to pull her off him. Yet, he swallowed and shook his head, telling them wordlessly to wait. Calmly, he met her eyes. They were vicious and cold, piercing into his for only a second, long enough for him to realize that she wasn't seeing him, long enough for him to remember the fangs and severe power hidden under her skin. But then, recognition snapped and she blinked. The second was over and its wake left before him a shaking teenager, breathing heavily, her hand squeezing his for a new reason entirely.

Carlisle blinked and slowly lowered himself to his knees. Reaching over, he rubbed her back, his hand playing with the silk like edges of her braid. He prayed that his cold skin was something soothing, even through her thick coat.

"Seras," he whispered, loud enough for just the table to hear. Hesitantly, she turned and met his gaze. Her golden eyes wrought with fear and sorrow, her chest heaving. He licked his lips. If his heart beat, it would have been in his throat. He opened his mouth and spoke again. "My dear, did…," he paused. "Did your parents," he looked at Charlie and corrected himself. "Did you eat well? Did my brother not feed you?"

Seras never answered him. All she did was stare, mildly blinking as if it would keep her frustrated tears from multiplying even as they filled her eyes. The blood turned them red. Quickly, he moved to wipe one away intensely aware that the slight smell of the ruby liquid didn't bother him, nor the others at the table. He took a breath, once again moving to speak, but she pushed him away uttering a soft apology.

Abruptly, she jerked to her feet, then practically ran to the bathroom. He moved to follow, but then the sound of wind chimes halted his movements. He blinked. Seconds ticked. The chimes jingled. He stepped back.

When his hand delved into his pockets, his wife stood up and walked to him. Placing her hands on his arms, she looked down with him at the screen of his phone. "It's the hospital," he sighed. "Something must have happened."

Esme squeezed his biceps. "Why don't you go," she offered softly. But he hesitated, his eyes staring uncertainly into hers before they turned to stare at the closed door to the ladies' restroom. He swallowed.

"She needs time, Carlisle," Jasper intervened. Unlike the rest of the table, who were all busy staring at their hands, simmering uncomfortably in the awkward silence, he lifted concerned pale golden eyes to his father and mentor. "We'll make sure she comes out and gets home."

Esme eyed the phone watching it stop ringing. "Harold, will not be pleased if you keep ignoring his calls."

That was enough to push him. Sighing, he pulled away and turned to the front entrance. "Let me just take the call. I'll return and let you know what's happened." He kissed her chastely before flipping the phone open. "Make sure…"

"Don't worry," Esme confirmed, her smile soft.

Carlisle just nodded and walked out.


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Into Conjecture

Observations can kill conversations. Charlie Swan speaks. Alice remembers. "You know who that is don't you? The man with the red cross..."

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Into Conjecture, Conundrum**

* * *

Officer Charlie Swan precariously watched the doctor as he ambled out of the restaurant. In spite of how he looked, back straight, head lifted high, he knew the man's heart was torn, filled to the brim with indecision. Yet, he could do nothing, could think of nothing. In despair, he sighed running a darkly tanned hand through his short brown hair. As his mind meandered, he lowered it wrapping long stout fingers around the curved white handle of his coffee mug. He lifted it silently, took a sip, then eyed the plate in front of him. It was empty, its white porcelain smeared maroon from steak sauce, not blood like the girl's. He swallowed, then looked towards the teenagers around him. He didn't want to admit it, but her plate bothered him. Everything bothered him.

Slowly, Esme returned to her seat all the while surveying the ominous door across from her.

He watched her a moment, taking in her soft wavy hair, pale features, the worry building in her eyes. He took a breath before allowing his words to break the silence. "She's been abused, hasn't she?"

Bodies shifted. The table rocked. His fork clanged as it slid against the milky surface of his plate. He sighed. "I've seen that look before, not a lot of times, but enough. It's not something you forget. I can see now why your father is so close to her." His deep brown eyes shifted, their sure irises attempting to connect with at least one pair of golden brown.

"He's changed," Edward mumbled.

"No, he's conflicted." Jasper leaned back in his chair, "You know how he is. When there is someone in need, he will do anything to assist. It's in his nature."

"But the fact of the matter is-"

"You don't know her." The cop nodded to himself. He'd interrupted Edward knowing what he was going to say. His bitter scowl proved him right. "And you are afraid of what other baggage she will bring into your lives if you help her."

At the surprised looks on their faces, he smirked. "You weren't all that subtle. It didn't take much to figure out that you weren't related." He paused. "Have… Where did you find her? Has she told you any of her story? The sooner we hear it, the faster we can get her help."

"Charlie… um, Dad," Bella interceded shaking her head. "I don't think it's so cut and dry with her."

"And she hasn't told us anything," Esme added. Dejectedly, she leaned her head on her fist.

"Probably for good reason."

The conversation halted. Everyone stared at Edward. Though his comment was acceptable by itself, the tone caught everyone off guard.

Bella turned and glared. "What is your issue," she asked. She folded her arms and slightly pulled away. "You've been on her case since she stumbled into our lives. Do you know something that we don't?"

Edward glared back, lips protruding in a pout. "No," he lied. "I just don't think she's this innocent vanilla white victim you all paint her as."

"She probably isn't," Swan snorted. Absently, he rubbed the side of his face, his gaze thoughtful.

"Still," Esme argued. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't help her, hun, at least until she has proven otherwise. We should give her the benefit of a doubt."

Swan nodded. "She'll get enough opposition from the courts as is. Listen, you have been given the opportunity to intercede. Who knows, you may be the only ones able to give her the help she needs. All it takes is one person."

"She has scars," a small voice broke in. Heads turned and eyes shifted, each staring at the person who had been the quietest until now. Alice didn't look at anyone just stared at a spot on the table, a twisted brown knot in the golden wood. Clean fingernails outlined it nervously.

Emmett inhaled and leaned back in his chair. His smile broke crookedly across his face. "Yes, I remember those."

Alice didn't let him finish, her head shaking solemnly. "No. She has SCARS and they are not…" She stopped. She tried again. "I saw them when I was giving her some clothing. They are pretty extensive and…" Once more, she shook her head reliving the scene the thousandth time that day. She couldn't get it off her mind.

* * *

It was a little after eight when she'd heard the sudden knock. She remembered this vividly, because as she'd walked away from her bedside, she'd looked at her clock. The beaming red lights read 8:18 PM, not 20:18 if Jasper had his way. _Which he won't_, Alice snorted. _Seriously, who runs on military time?_ Smiling slightly, she crossed the large room and jerked open the door. She sighed a little, expecting the quiet form huddled behind it.

In the cracked gateway, Seras met her gaze uncertainly. She stood still, silent in the golden light. The warm glow tumbled softly into the hallway like a yellow river, the murky golden waters of a waterfall. It made her fidget.

Alice's eyebrows crinkled. The girl's fingers were busy playing with something in her pocket. It made the dark fabric of her hoodie bulge and wrinkle awkwardly, like the silence around them. She frowned, and shifted her weight. Regardless, Alice attempted to smile. In spite of everything, she didn't want to say that she didn't try. She could do that much, she figured.

Seras saw the attempt and felt the wavering tension in her aura. She tried to relax. Sighing, she looked down forcing herself to settle. She bit her lip. Then, with a heart resigned to her task, she pulled a small aerosol can from her pocket.

Alice watched her and blinked down at it confusion colored her expression. Looking back at the girl, she bunched her lips, pursing them casually. The dragon avoided her eyes.

"You said you had clothes," Seras responded. "Can you teach me to use this?" Briefly, she looked up exasperated at the girl before shoving the violet can into her cold deft fingers.

Once again, Alice blinked. Then, upon realizing that she was gaping stupidly, she stuttered a half-hearted welcome before stepping to the side. Seras gingerly entered.

"I've already picked out a few things for you. They are on the bed. Why don't you look them over, while I figure this out," she said softly. As Seras meandered towards the large structure covered in nine beige pillows and one king size comforter, Alice fiddled with the can. She quickly noted the brand and application style. Then, for a brief moment, a smile cracked across her face. It was the foam foundation. She'd been meaning to try it. As she easily broke into the sealed cap, Seras' sudden words made her pause. It completely wiped the smile from her face.

"I can't wear these," she said looking down at the clothes.

Alice looked at them. There were jeans and a few t-shirts. The rest, however, consisted of a few nice sweaters, a jacket, a couple button up shirts, and two polos. They were all brand name and expensive. They were perfect. Alice raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with them?" she asked, slightly put off.

Seras licked her lips and met her eye. "They are too nice. I would be returning them, correct?"

Alice nodded, "Of course, but that's okay. You'll be spending most of your time in a library, right? They are really comfortable to run in, too, if that's your worry."

Seras sighed. "But I would still ruin them. Here, let me show you." Seeing the continued confusion etched across the vampire's pixie like face, she insisted. Quickly, she eradicated her hoodie, then turned so Alice could see her wings. Like crumpled curtains, they poked through the hastily torn edges of another white muscle shirt.

In spite her unease, Alice laughed. "I see. Well… let me rethink this."

Quickly, she put the makeup on her dresser then turned towards her closet. Upon entering the large walk-in, she immediately began sorting through the numerous racks. Her fingers rapidly advanced through colorful hangers, opaque plastic that squeaked when touched. She looked for capes, scarves, loose fitting jackets that would hide the girl's wings, as well as old shirts and slacks that would look great with the former items. It was quite a challenge.

It was during this search that she'd stumbled across the small black Donegal. She stared at it a moment, having forgotten that she'd even bought it. Slowly, a genuine smile spread across her face. She liked the idea of giving it to the dragon. It seemed to fit her somehow. It was almost destiny. No, she exclaimed. It was destiny.

Excited, she snatched the cap, a sweater and a baby tee, then raced out of the closet. Partway, she began to chatter. "Here are some things, if you want to try them on. I need your wing size, just to make sure I cut the backs correctly." She exited and smirked. Reaching over, she grabbed a pair of scissors from the jar on her dresser. Then, she curiously eyed the muscle shirt the girl was wearing. "If you could take that off, I would like to use it as a blue print. Then, we could test these after I cut through them. So, if you could please…" She waved the scissor indicating for her to start, like now.

Seras calmly raised an eyebrow. "You want me to take off my shirt?"

Alice smiled. "It's okay. You have nothing that I haven't seen before. Well… sort of." She eyed her wings.

Seras looked at her a moment then sighed. Her shoulders sank as she looked away. "As you wish."

Hearing the dragon's dejected tone, Alice paused uncertain. "You're sure? We could always take this to the bathroom."

Still, Seras shook her head, her unbound hair falling into her eyes. She tucked it behind an ear, grimacing at the thought. She didn't want to drag this out where the others could watch. That would be too embarrassing. "No, this is fine." It was the best of two evils.

Quickly, she turned her back to Alice and pulled off the muscle shirt. Simultaneously, she wrapped her wings around herself. Yet even as she rushed to do so, she wasn't fast enough, not for the sure quick stare of the vampire behind her.

Immediately, Alice froze. Her gasp was quiet like a puff of air. The image flashed quickly, almost too quickly, before it was covered, hidden by black scales and skin. Regardless, she had seen it. She stepped forward cautiously placing the hat and scissors on the bed. "What happened," she asked. "May I see?"

Seras turned back, her eyes blinking as she warily evaluated the young vampire. Alice couldn't figure her conclusion, but the dragon, after a moment, grudgingly looked away. Slowly, she lowered her wings.

The accompanying silence was heavy, disturbed only by the moist sounds of Seras' shallow breathing.

Her back was mutilated. Her wings battle torn and scarred. Alice was prepared for those; she'd seen them like everyone else that night in the cave. However, they weren't striped and bubbled over from scars on scars. Whip marks that crossed and uncrossed each other through the hot pink shiny skin of burns scattered here and there. Alice swallowed and stepped forward. Against her will, her hand stretched out, fingers spread slightly, as she curiously reached to touch a hardened gash. It was deep and black. It bit viciously into the girl's left shoulder. But then, just as a finger tip descended, a creamy warm hand reached back and held Alice's wrist. It gripped it, gently. So light, that she could barely feel it, yet it successfully prevented her from touching her disfigured skin.

Alice looked down at the hand before pulling away. Her fingers slid easy from Seras's warm grasp. Absently, she noted the long vertical scar that outlined the center of the girl's forearm. She licked her lips. "I'm sorry," she began. "I didn't mean to intrude."

Seras shook her head, silencing her apology. She lowered her eyes. "Don't worry. You are not the first to do that," she said softly.

Alice sighed and walked around her. The dragon quickly covered herself, her wings circling her like a blanket. She figured there were probably more scars. Still, she had seen enough. "Did he do that," she asked quietly.

"Who," Seras responded. She tilted her head.

"The man in the vision," Alice whispered. She watched her subtly through her lashes. "The guy in black with the red cross. You know who that is, don't you."

Seras met her gaze evenly, unashamed. Still, she was cautious as she spoke. "I know the man," she admitted gently. "But he is not the one who did this. Humans did this and that man is far from human," Her words grew cold. They dripped from her lips like venom. She paused. "Do you hate me for my knowledge?"

Alice moved to sit with her on the bed. "I don't hate you," she admitted. "But I am worried." Looking towards the door, she lowered her voice and leaned forward. "I can't see anything and not just with that vision, but with my visions for everyone. They come, but they are black. I can't hear or see anything. Not since the day we met you." Her voice was soft, filled with frustrated accusation. When Seras refused to look away, Alice's eyebrows lowered heavily over her golden pupils. "You know why."

Seras grimaced, baring long sharp fangs. She tried to open her mouth and succeeded, but only briefly. A sharp "Yes" and an "I" fell out from her lips like cornels of popcorn before her mouth was forcefully slammed shut. Her eyes flared in frustration, while Alice's widened. She wasn't prepared to see this, to hear the girls' heart pick up speed. A soft growl cut through the hard silence of the room. Seras looked away glaring before closing her lips, giving up. She wrapped her wings tighter around herself, then shook her head. "I will be gone by the end of the week, if not sooner," she muttered. "Your visions should return to you with my parting."

Alice didn't answer her, not quite sure how to take the event. Quickly, she had nodded and went back to preparing the girl some clothing. All week, she had been dying to get answers, but now that she had them, she needed more. She wasn't satisfied. Briefly, she looked back at the girl. Seras was jerking a sweater over her head, her movements fast and abrupt. She was rushing so she could leave; flee back into the shadows she had emerged from. It was then, that she knew. Her answers, Alice sighed. She may never get them.

* * *

"She won't talk about them," Alice revealed softly. It was a half-truth. She didn't know how to explain the rest.

Officer Swan leaned back in his chair and sighed, "I'd be surprised if she had," he said. He dropped an arm to rest it on the back of Bella's chair. As he did so, he easily noticed her shoulders suddenly slouched. Crinkling his nose, he looked down at her.

"She's leaving soon," Bella reminded everyone. "Even if we could help, we won't have time to do anything."

Jasper looked at her, his face subdued. He shrugged a heavy shoulder. His mind settling as it did. "She probably wouldn't accept it anyway."

It was a conundrum and it caused a weighty silence to settle over the table. A sense of helplessness filled in the gaps, choking the conversation of words.

Uncomfortable, Charlie leaned forward in his chair bringing his hands to his face. He dragged them sluggishly down the length of it, molding his skin slightly under his callused fingertips. He looked around the diner. It was empty and they were alone. His nose crinkled further as he peaked through his fingers. "She's taking a long time. Where's our waitress?"

"She went into the bathroom," Esme answered. Worry colored the tone of her words. It crumpled her brow, like a discarded ribbon, like the petals of a crushed daisy.

Charlie looked back at the table surprised to find everyone staring at the lone entrance. He lifted an eyebrow. "What's wrong," he asked.

"They're fighting," Edward said softly.

The cop's brows popped to his hairline. "You can hear them? Maybe we should-"

"Don't worry," Rosalie interrupted gracefully. She pushed back her chair and shuffled to her feet. "Bitch is my specialty." The comment, dripping in nonchalant resignation, earned her at least two knowing smirks and one blank stare. She blatantly ignored them. Her eyes batted elegantly. Her aristocratic nose tilted as she raised her head and straightened her spine. Casually, she sauntered from the table.

Letting a bored sigh escape her lips, Rosalie reached for the sunglasses nestled in her hair. With swift movements, she ripped them off before slipping them back on. The large brown lenses glided over her brow effortlessly, skimming smoothly over flawless white skin. As they resettled on the crown of her head, she stalked towards the back of the restaurant.

Her hair shifted silently, swaying like wheat in the wind. Agilely, elegantly, stealthily, her thin legs sashayed between cardboard thin tables and wire chairs, her ass tight in blue jeans, her bodice laced in firm red leather. She strutted down the short hallway, then paused at the closed door. The panel was plain, unremarkable except for the gold sign nailed in the center. She didn't bother reading it. She didn't need to. Lifting a pale cold hand, she gingerly leaned an ear to the warm naked wood.

Minutes passed before her eyes quickly narrowed. Slowly, she pushed the door open. It cracked open, just in time, just big enough for her to see a body slam into the wall.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Into Conversion

A waitress and a war

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Into Conversion**

* * *

The water was lukewarm, nearly cold though the red spotted knob, the crystal one that sat to the left of the faucet, was jerked as far to the left as possible. For a minute, she let it run, her long thin fingers splashing through the roaring stream. A forefinger waved, the middle bent while the water splattered around it, yet in spite her impatience, it wouldn't heat. Still, the pressure was strong, biting almost. Apparently, not everything was horrible.

Seras sighed as she plunged shaking hands beneath the freezing water. She stared at them while they wreathed and twisted, danced gracefully together in the opaque stream. Her fingers were red, her palms splotchy white. Vaguely, she noted how the florescent lights seemed to dapple her skin. It spotted it like patches on a pinto, yet it made it appear almost transparent to the eye. The image mesmerized her.

Steadily, golden eyes traced the violet-blue of her veins. They dipped elegantly, a strolling river meandering through the shallow valleys between her fingers. She watched the tiny branches. They split and merged, melding into a single stream that raced over the back of her hand before falling gently like a waterfall, silent like a stream in a desert. It cascaded over the minute crest of her wrist before vanishing under the thick black sleeves of her jacket. She knew where it was headed - the stream, the flow of her life - towards her shoulders, towards the murky gates of her heart.

Seras closed her eyes. Her heart quivered even as her emotions wound tightly around it, wringing it like a sponge. Frustration, desire, pain, they overflowed and it broke.

A sudden wetness trailed across her skin, hesitant like a wayward child. It slid across her cheek before falling like a droplet of dew, a dribble of rain upon ice covered snow. Seras stared at the ruby bead. It sat harmless, alone in the empty sink. She blinked and wiped her cheek. Two fingers removed the stubborn remnants from the gentle curve leaving only a vague smear to paint her skin. She spied it in the mirror and grimaced.

Quickly, she stooped over the milky basin and plunged two cupped hands under the heavy stream. Then, she splashed a few handfuls of the cool water over her hot face. It felt refreshing, soothing even. Perhaps it was good that there wasn't any hot water. At least, she couldn't smell copper anymore.

Seras turned off the water and straightened. She absently looked into the mirror then paused. She stood there for a moment, maybe longer, just staring at it, at her reflection, at herself meeting her eyes. She lowered them and scowled. _How embarrassing_, she thought. _How frustrating_. Placing a hand upon the porcelain counter, she leaned forward tapping a toe on the tile beneath her feet. She didn't look up, not even when she felt the bathroom door creak open, nor when it allowed a hot aura to break into the silent peace of the room. Eventually, she gave in. Once more, she looked into the mirror.

The image had changed. Her focus shifted. Instead of long spiky hair braided tightly down her back, she saw two pigtails hanging loosely. Instead of a sweater wreathed in soft dark cotton, she spied a small waitress outfit, green with white trimming, tight around the chest, and short around the thighs. Looking back at the girl, she met her eyes through the dark glass. The girl twisted her lips.

Seras' jaw tightened as she shook the water from her hands. She moved to the towel dispenser hanging from the wall beside her. Silently, brown eyes watched her walk across the room while a small petite nose twitched subtly.

"That was some sight back there."

A steady voice cracked the silence, broke it in two like a hammer concrete. It tisked. "You know what they say about dragons."

Seras rolled her eyes. "Tell me you didn't come in here to insult me. If you did, let me advise you against it."

"Hmm… no," the girl cooed softly. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "I don't wish to insult you. Why would I do that to someone of your stature?"

Seras raised an eyebrow and looked back at the girl. She was smiling, but not in a good way.

Seeing the gesture, the girl's smirk broadened. "You must be powerful to have so many seals tied to you. I may not be an expert on the technology, but even I can tell that those aren't mere seals used to disguise appearances only, are they? "

Seras's eyebrow perked higher. She ripped off a short section from the dispenser and began wiping her hands. She tried to focus on the sounds of the paper crumpling, not the growing annoyance building behind her.

Still, the waitress continued. "I can feel it in your aura. Even though you have suppressed it to imitate a human's, due to your loss of your last one, a hint of your power slips out. It rests just below the surface tingling with everything else around you. It excites me just standing next to you, which makes me curious." She brought a finger to her chin and tapped it.

"Curious about what, Miss?" Seras purposely kept her tone neutral. She continued to wipe her hands.

"It's Ayame," the girl pouted. She tilted her head, her pigtails perking like an ear.

Seras sighed. She didn't care.

The girl pushed off the wall and walked towards the dragon. Her eyes narrowed. "Why is someone like you involved with such lowly creatures like them? Don't you know what they are?"

"Of course I do." Seras said. She tried to walk around the girl towards the trash can. "They're vampires."

The girl scowled. "You know what I mean." She stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

Seras looked down at it before prying it from her person with two fingers. "They are products of the split." She sighed and crumpled the paper towel in her left hand.

"They are humans..."

"… Endowed with an abundance of power that the earth could not give to demons because the majority of us were sent to the other side. As such, they are products of the past."

"That shouldn't exist, if the humans hadn't risen against us in the first place." The girl reminded.

Seras furrowed her eyebrows. "You act as if we are innocent, as if we didn't live up to our title by destroying their villages, killing their families, provoking their clergy to act out in the way they did.

"We were performing acts of our station to creatures that were far below us, killing ants on a sidewalk just because they are in the way and nothing more. They are meat for our tables, beasts of burdens for our labor and those humans dressed in youkai power are abominations, an affront to our power and pride. They are worse than even hanyou."

Seras snorted and stepped away. She crossed her arms. "I see your mark isn't just for heritage reasons. You preach the patriot agenda quite well. Did you forget? Your side lost! The war is over!"

The waitress took a step forward, her cold smile brightening. "It isn't over," she whispered viciously, hopefully.

It made Seras uneasy.

"It isn't," she frowned. "Look around you. Humans run everything. The cardinal houses were destroyed along with their ancient territory lines. Their titles are but fancy words that no longer hold any power were it matters. And now we live in the shadows while the majority of us are trapped in a realm that shouldn't exist, and we who stayed wait on earth hoping to God that the human political and religious leaders don't 'change' their minds and weed us out as they did 200 years ago. You lost! We lost!"

"Only for the time being. Listen," Ayame exclaimed stepping forward. "We will rise to power again. It's only a matter of time before we gain enough demons on our side once more. Then, we can fight."

Yet, Seras shook her head. "Even if we did, humans have grown more numerous and increasingly more powerful. Their weapons now rival our own."

"You think they are the only ones who have grown in this day and age?" Ayame protested, "Don't forget we can do things that humans cannot. They are not immortal. They can't command the powers of the earth like we can. They can't raise the dead."

Seras sucked in a breath, her gaze turning suspicious. "Only a select few of us can perform such a feat and it's limited. We are not gods."

"But we could be." Ayame stopped to breathe. It was becoming erratic with her excitement. She licked her lips. "And we could use more demons, stronger ones, more powerful ones like you. Would you join us?"

"Absolutely not," Seras said. She shook her head adamantly. "I am no patriot and err on the side of the co-habitation. Demons and humans are equal and both sides should learn to live equally."

Instantly, a growl ripped through the restroom. It wasn't unexpected.

Seras was unsurprised to see her blatant response met with such hostility. Cautiously, she let a small amount of her power ease through her second seal. She could feel it turn crimson the edges of her irises. She bared her fangs even as the demon across from her did as well. Slowly, she began to circle the girl, her eyes pinned on her. "I'd be careful how you speak from here on out. I'm not beyond killing you were you stand."

"Bold words." Ayame turned with the girl, not stopping until Seras was standing with her back towards the door. She narrowed her eyes. "Foolish. You don't know what power I have. You can't detect anything past my seal, not even the scent of my species."

"I don't need to feel or smell anything to recognize someone below me," Seras growled.

Ayame returned it abruptly, yet low enough to refrain from drawing human attention beyond the door. She sneered. "Apparently, you have spent too much time with abominations. Their presence has tainted you. Perhaps if I killed them, you would be free of their delusions."

She had barely finished speaking when she was suddenly slammed into the wall behind her. She grunted as she stared down into large angry red eyes.

"They're MINE!" Seras growled. "Touch them and I'll rip your throat out!"

Ayame gritted her teeth as she lowered her seal allowing her fangs to grow longer, her eyes to sharpen with power turning them bright green. Seras' nose flared smelling the prickly scent of wolf filter into the room. She narrowed her eyes.

"Why don't you try it, dragon." Ayame threatened, switching her glare from Seras to the vampire bitch that entered the room behind her. "Even if I die, others will rise up after me. They will die anyway. They and their human ances-"

Seras glowered. She growled and re-slammed her in the wall. Her fangs bared viciously. "Stop sprouting your bigoted bullshit and worry about the threat staring you in the face."

She tightened her grip along the slender neck of the young wolf causing her to break the steady rhythm of her growls. "Submit," she commanded, her voice no louder than a whisper.

Ayame spat in her face.

Immediately, Seras stopped growling. Her eyebrows lowered. Slowly, she lifted her hand to her face and wiped her forehead of the slime of the wolf's saliva. Simultaneously, she also removed some of her makeup, revealing the dark outline of the crescent moon etched between her eyebrows.

Seeing it, Ayame's face crinkled, crumpling in hot anger. Her eyes were ferocious yet filled with a growing instinctual fear. "You are a daiyoukai," she gasped before a clawed hand, warm like the sun, clenched tighter around her esophagus. The girl squeaked at the pain even as she hoarsely spoke her discovery. "From the west, member of the disgraceful white inu pack that resides over the house of the moon! No wonder you're so weak, lovers of hanyous, mikos, and humans. And now vampires I see?! You are beyond saving."

"Saving?" Seras crinkled her nose in disgust. "At least, we are not living in the past." Frustrated, she threw the girl at Rosalie's feet. Just as she was about to rise, the girl was pinned to the floor, a booted foot on her neck. Seras looked down at her, her eyes colder than the ice outside.

"Seras?" Rosalie questioned uncertainly.

Seras didn't look at her, just shook her head while acknowledging her crossed arms out of the corner of her eye. She bared her fangs further at the girl below her. She narrowed her eyes. "Submit," she commanded again. When the girl sneered, and struggled further, Seras returned the favor and added more pressure to the girl's neck. It cracked. Her growl lowered in pitch, while smoke flared from between her fangs.

Immediately, the girl went limp. She was barely able to turn her head to the side to bare her throat.

Seras watched, but didn't react. Her face stayed stoic. "Good," she approved. "Now, you will listen to me. I don't really care where your opinion lies, you are free to think whatever you want, but I will not stand for you threatening what belongs to me."

Ayame's growl was vicious. "You have claimed those vermin? You are a traitor, a traitor to your breed and station, worse than your good for nothing lord, the corporate mutt king."

Seras cut her off abruptly, adding sharp pressure to her neck. She tilted her head. "I have claimed no one. These… vermin," she said nodding towards Rosalie. "Are just under my protection for the time being. That's all. But you are a hypocrite, wolf. It's thanks to my mutt king that you are able to have this job and walk freely in the open." She bent further. "It's thanks to him that we haven't been snuffed out. You live off of his achievements and yet you sneer. Perhaps, you should abandon your seals and stay locked up behind your barrier with your fleabag alpha. You must be truly pleased with his achievements, flirting with a human, a miko at that. Further involving himself with humans by allowing them to guard your territory, mixing blood so they have powers of a youkai. You must truly be a disgrace to your eastern brothers."

Ayame glared, her growl lowering in pitch. "He is no alpha to me."

"And yet, I can smell his scent all over you," Seras sneered.

Ayame's growl sputtered and stopped.

Seras nodded. "You will get up and give my table our check. Then, we will be on our way. When you do go back to your pack, you will tell Kouga that the Dragon of the House of the Moon is coming to visit. Perhaps if you behave, I won't tell him that his mate has denied him his dominance. That's a punishable offense, is it not?"

Ayame's nose crinkled in a mix of disgust and disbelief, "You aren't going to kill me?"

Seras tilted her head. "Why would I do that? Do you really think you are worth the effort?" She jerked away from the girl, then moved to stand between Rosalie and the wolf demon. She watched her like a dog a rat.

Ayame rose to her feet and brushed off her clothes. Straightening her hair and its seals, she successfully locked her vengeful emerald eyes behind light brown irises. She looked at Seras and sneered before stalking up to her. "I won't keep you from coming," she said puffing her chest. "I'll deliver your message and hopefully when you arrive, I will have the opportunity to show you how wrong you are." She eyed the vampire glaring at her from behind the dragon's shoulder. A new smile cracked across her face. It glided slyly from one ear to the other in such a way that it nearly gave Rosalie the chills. "I'll make you join," she vowed. "And if I fail, either way be sure, not killing me today was a mistake." She spat, then stormed out of the room.

Silently, Seras watched the girl leave making the swinging door sway lethally behind her. She didn't know how long she stood there, but it wasn't long before she was finally comfortable enough to drop the tension in her shoulders. Frustrated, she threw the paper towel in the trash before rummaging through her pockets. She was looking for the makeup Alice "forced" her to take in case of emergencies. She didn't want to admit that she was right.

Her hands were shaking. She could see them waver as she finally pulled out the tiny blue compact. But even as she struggled to jerk the plastic lid open, she noticed the difference in the calm confident hands that steadied hers before taking it from them. Immediately, she moved to glare, but then her frosty eyes stilled as did her breathing. She pursed her lips. As before she found herself staring, but not at her reflection, but into an elegant face reflecting back the same indignation Seras was feeling.

Absently, Rosalie shrugged before telling her gently to stay still. Seras rolled her eyes, but Rosalie met the look with a huff. She glared and abruptly began to work deftly applying the cream colored powder to her forehead.

The restroom was silent, as was the restaurant outside. Seras could feel the seven ears waiting on the other end of the door for an explanation. She swallowed even as she felt the soft round cushion of the applicator rub against her skin.

Rosalie's face hardened as she spoke. "She would have killed us." It wasn't a question.

"She would have killed you." Seras' words fell like stones on the floor.

"But you stood up for us."

She glared before stepping away. Seras walked briskly to the door. "Stop reading between the lines. It didn't mean anything," she ground out before pushing through it.

Rosalie calmly watched her leave before sharply closing the compact. She shoved it into her back pocket, then shook her head. _It was a lie._


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Out of Town

He wanted to argue, to drag her back and order her to explain, but the voice on the other end broke through his resolve.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Out of Town, Leaving**

* * *

Jasper sat in silence. He was calm and settled in spite the weighted air that surrounded him. At the least, that was what he tried to portray.

An all-consuming wave submerged him like the ocean had the Titanic, an emotion unnamed and unaccompanied. It meandered like a drunken fiend through the small diner, swaying back and forth between the tables. It crashed into the walls and sliced through the stagnate blades of the numerous ceiling fans and rickety floor tiles. Yet it's long reaching fingers, its rancid stale breath, didn't ignore him like it had the others at the table. Invisible white hands wrenched his throat, suffocating him ruthlessly. Gradually starting in his lungs, the emotion clogged and swelled before climbing up the rugged ladder of his windpipe. Like a twisting tentacle, it billowed insidiously before breaking through his thin pale lips, shattering teeth, piercing flesh, and smashing his mate's fragile concentration.

His sure cold hand reached unhurriedly towards another, gripping tightly the soft slender fingers that instantly squeezed back. As a result, his jaw tightened and his breath stilled. He straightened his spine and pursed his lips. None would see that he was bothered by the emotions coming from the restroom. None would hear apart from the subtle signs; the deepening of his breath, the murky thick sounds of him swallowing, the light tapping of his foot. They, his companions, were oblivious to all these things; every person, but one.

He could feel her eyes, his mate's. He sighed and closed his own, but only briefly. Opening them, Jasper looked down at her. Alice was silent and still like he was, like the other molten clay statues sitting precariously around the table. Her short brown locks were purposely tangled, surrounding her face like a halo an angel. Her eyes were clear, but uncharacteristically hard. They were narrowed and smoldering, flooded with the choppy waters of uncertain worry. He pushed back his hair and spied her lips. The soft pastel pink flesh was caught sharply between the gentle caress of her perfectly blanched teeth. Serrated and deadly, they were normally hidden behind a constant smile, but that was noticeably missing. It was a striking image, one that clashed violently with the other that teased the edges of his vision. Jasper slanted his eyes. The cop fidgeted.

"They're taking forever," Charlie mumbled looking towards the door.

The way his fingers tapped against his mug, the way he sat at the edge of his seat, Jasper could tell that he longed to investigate what was happening. The cop in him wanted to break up the possible crime, however, propriety stated otherwise. Like the rest of them, he didn't rise from the table. He waited impatiently. Shifting in his chair, he subtly eyed the door. He was eager to see if Rosalie's presence made a difference, yet nothing happened_. If only she would ignite some sign, _he thought. A word, a sound, anything, it would be reason enough for him to act. But for him, nothing came from behind the door, not a word, not a sound, not a thing. Yet Jasper and the rest, they could hear what he could not. They heard everything.

The words abomination, vermin, and traitor clashed harshly with the rippling growls and the soft thudding sounds of a body hitting brick then tile. Though he didn't flinch, Jasper could still see the effect of what was happening filter through the spines of each vampire at the table. It bent them, lowering heads and wounding hearts. It dulled some eyes while sparking others.

He looked over at Bella seeing her stare silently at her hands. One caressed the other, a fingernail pushing against the flesh of her cuticles. She caught his eye and instantly stopped. She folded her arms self-consciously before tucking her pale fingers beneath her arm pits. She frowned and looked away. She was clearly unused to the insults, he concluded. He pitied her but then he didn't.

Jasper shook his head. She chose this life, unlike most at the table, unlike most of their kind. With that decision, came consequences which included the baring of a bad stigma. Baring the title of Monster wasn't something you ever get used too. It was something that each of them had to wrestle with at one time or another. And he knew, probably more than anyone else in the coven, that there were more than just shape shifters who followed and killed in the name of that stigma. It was something she'd have to come to grips with also, a hurdle in a long line of hurdles.

He sighed and pinched the slender ridge of his nose perched wearily between his tired eyes. They were weary from emotional stress and mental pain, though not from physical distress like they'd been in ages past. For this, he was grateful.

Again, he let his eyes drift closed, the movement comforting, if only vaguely. Yet, the comfort was short lived. The sound of a door swinging open creaked through the restaurant sailing harshly into his sensitive ears. A grimace crumpled thin stern lips while an eyelid cracked open revealing guarded gilded eyes. Slyly, they watched as the waitress stormed out of the restroom.

From her pocket, she quickly pulled out her ticket book and marched up to their table. She jerked it open, then used her clawed hands to rip off a page from the hidden ledger. With brisk movements, she tented the thin paper before slamming their receipt onto the cluttered surface. She sneered as eight sets of eyes watched her, her lips curling in revulsion. In return, they stared at her with meticulous disgust, like a doctor a virus, yet she didn't care. Slamming the book shut, she abruptly turned, her pigtails slicing through the air as she walked away. Quickly, she grabbed a small purse from behind the cash register then waltzed briskly out the back door. The glass nearly shattered from the force of it slamming. Yet for Jasper, there was never a sight more welcomed.

Casually, he tucked his chin length hair behind an ear before turning to find the dragon also storming out of the bathroom. Her stance, stiff and aggressive, clearly displayed how ticked off she was. In seconds, she reached the table. Just as the cop's fingers picked up the corner of the little ticket, she snatched it up uncaring that she reached across the only member of the family that disliked her the most, the only one she avoided like the plague.

Quickly, her golden red rimmed eyes scanned the page before an explicative fit for a sailor spewed forth from her mouth. "Bitch over charged us," she growled. She was about to turn back and walk towards the cash register, which was now manned by a frustrated looking manager, when the ticket was suddenly snatched from her hand faster than she had with the cop.

"What did she do, Cous'," Emmett grunted while squinting at the ticket. He held it high enough so she could just barely reach it without jumping.

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it," Seras ground out through clenched teeth. She put her hands on her hips and glared up at him.

Emmett ignored her before giving a low whistle. "Wow, she charged you separately for each steak."

Charlie blinked up at him, "There were at least two steaks a plate. I had two helpings myself!"

"Yeah, it's like a two hundred dollar check-"

"I said, 'I would take care of it,' " Seras growled tapping her toe.

"Chill, Cous'. I can do this." The boy winked before sashaying cockily around her. "And I'll pay for it too."

"I have money!"

"You do?!" He gave her a smile before turning around and tapping her lightly on the cheek. "Just think of it this way. I'm making up for when I _borrow_ some from you down the road." He smirked at her then turned, briefly throwing another smile at his wife, who was watching everything from the door of the restroom. He winked and walked away leaving behind a glowering dragon to glare stupidly at his back.

Before she could think of a reply, Esme spoke up. "Just let him do it, dear." She sighed and rested her head on her fist. She felt the last of the tension in her shoulders fade thanks to the happy-go-lucky attitude of her second son. She smiled even as the rest of the table stayed huddled under the events of the last couple of minutes. "We're family," she gently murmured. "It's what we do."

Seras looked at her, taken back momentarily by the phrase. But then, she looked at the cop and shook her head. She remembered the façade, was ignorant of his own revelation. Yet, she was still uncomfortable. It felt too real. "Right, family." She stuttered. "I need... I'm going for a walk. I'll be back." Taking a breath, Seras shoved her hands into her pockets and began to sulk towards the entrance. She was well aware of the eyes watching her as she left.

As she opened the door, she met concerned golden eyes. They'd instantly shifted upon seeing the door swing open and peaked curiously through the windshield of a blue Mercedes. She shifted her weight uneasily.

Carlisle's eyes crinkled watching the girl pause and stare at him. After a moment, she licked her lips and took off to the right, briskly walking towards the edge of town.

"Carlisle, are you coming?" A voice rasped in his ear.

Carlisle hedged and stuttered. "Ye-yes, Could you give me a minute?" He didn't wait for a response.

Quickly, he pulled himself from the car and called out the girl's name. All she did was wave and yell, saying she would be back in the morning. She didn't turn back, didn't slow down. Just left.

If his heart beat, it would have been racing. He wanted to yell. He wanted to argue, to drag her back and order her to explain, but the voice on the other end broke through his resolve. He had duties. It called his name with a warm stern tone that quivered in excessively through the small little receiver on his cell phone. It was tittering on the line between panic and fright and sohe hesitated.

Carlisle bit back a sigh and slid back into his car. He guessed he could wait until morning. It was only a day, an evening…

He slammed the door shut and started his vehicle, his phone wedged between his ear and shoulder. He would call Esme once he got to the hospital.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Into the Forest

It wanted her to follow. It was waiting.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Seventeen**

**Into the Forest, A Trap?**

* * *

The snow crunched under her feet, snapping lightly like a whisper. This and the harsh sound of her heavy breathing were the only things she could hear for miles. It was a sign that winter had yet to pass.

Perhaps, the myths were true.

Like a grumpy old man, it refused to give way to the following season; the thick noisy bustle that defined the awakening of spring. No longer was sound able to travel as far as it did on those cool crisp nights, the autumn evenings she'd enjoyed only months earlier. Now, it was quiet. The forest was dead, though it laid beautiful in its icy stillness.

It began to snow, not rain as she predicted earlier. The small white flakes fell wet and heavy, freezing as they caressed her skin. Yet high above the sky was clear.

Through sparse patches of wispy clouds, she could see into the dark heavens. They were nearly empty, black and starless, bottomless like the fabled pit. Amazed, Seras looked up through the leafless trees. Her hair billowed softly in the wind. With naked fingers, their branches weaved crossing and knotting like a tangled web. They trembled, like her, haggard and drenched shimmering softly in the night.

Like the clouds above, even they couldn't hide the luminous glow of the western moon. It sat gracefully on his throne regally crowned, a ghostly king stern and confident in his eerie beauty. His full opaque radiance cut sharply through the dreary storm, the meager forest surrounding her. It basked the landscape in blues and violets, the colors of kings and nobles. They were rich, and vibrant. She could almost swim in them. She smiled softly.

Smoke erupted from her lungs while her mind froze and trembled. It soared, her heart. It danced. It desired passionately to sing to the jagged crest, the sharp ethereal razor that reigned sovereign over the world of dreams and shadow. It reminded her of someone, a name whose simple elegance easily swelled her heart and wet the creases of her eyes. Yet in the silence, she did not dance. Her words sputtered forth, spewing curses instead of poetry. And so, she did not sing. Her smile faded while she ignored her desire.

Seras lowered her head and shut her eyes. It was no use remembering. Like the sawing of sharply lumbered logs, two heavy pendulums swayed back and forth crossing the trails of time. Her legs pumped faster. Longer. Smoother than cream in milk until her lanky body was nothing, but a blur in the empty woods.

Seras ran through the trees, through the sea of blues and violets. It was all she could do. All she knew how to do.

An invisible smudge passed through the trees unnoticed by everyone and no one. Yet no one was alive.

It had been an hour, maybe less, when she'd noticed the presence beside her. It tailed her like a shadow, meandering silently, softly following her path. It curved where it bent, bowed when she turned. It was a delicate breeze through her hair teasing the corner of her senses.

Seras narrowed her eyes. Their golden beams slanted, aimed shrewdly at the nuisance beside her. However, in spite its inconvenience, Seras grudgingly hailed it, welcomed it along with its danger. For better or for worse, it distracted her from her thoughts of couldn'ts and shouldn'ts she couldn't change. It was something that neither running, nor walking had been able to do. Thus, she narrowed her eyes, yes. Their golden beams glinted, but her thoughts continued to wander. She balked at the challenge, pondered her opponent.

She couldn't see it, no, but she could feel it. A displaced energy surrounded the being. Like fur a rat, a cold spell a ghost, it was something she'd recognized easily. She'd constantly lived in it - when she had her seal that is.

A frown flittered across her face while an emotion grew steadily within her. It crushed the outer membrane of her heart leaving it sore and raw. It was invisible. She was not. The presence was free and she wasn't. Seras pouted. That annoyed her. Slowly, a smirk became a cutting grin breaking slyly across her lips. It covered her wanting frown like make up a scar. She would lose the guy, she decided. It was cake, dry, stale and simple.

Immediately she picked up her speed, then booked to the left abruptly abandoning the small deer path. Her coat, black and wild, fluttered after her like a curtain in the breeze. It clothed her while the trees opened up, raising grasping fingers to engulf her whole. In their shadows she vanished, yet in the darkness the presence loomed.

It skidded to a stop then double backed, popping the earth like flies. It was clear that her turn, both sudden and sharp, wasn't expected. He wasn't expecting it at all. But that didn't stop him. Didn't slow him down either. Quickly, the presence regrouped, eating her footsteps like bait. She could feel its body lope clumsily, following her like a hunter, a child with a gun.

Booted feet dug into the earth while Seras marveled. Her legs pumped faster. Her smile grew broader. Somehow, she admitted, its unsteady rhythm lifted her morale. Like a drum beat tapping out a jagged cadence, it artfully weaved through the ancient trees veering left and right and right again. One, two, three. It accurately dodged each branch, each dripping needle. The pines, lonely in the struggle for life, barely fluttered in its wake in spite its massive size. She couldn't tell if it was lucky or just that good.

Seras crinkled her nose. She booked left, right, then right again, dodging through the empty forest. In the light of the waning moon, she judged the expanse of nothing, the dead space keeping pace with her. Then promptly, she made a decision.

Seras grunted then jumped into a nearby tree immediately bout facing on its branch. She turned and ran back the way she came easily flittering from bough to bough. From tree to tree, she recrossed the deer path then passed it. Circling it vaguely, she followed its winding trail towards the mountains and the small town that slept in their shadows.

It didn't take long for her to realize that the presence had vanished. It hadn't followed her. Instead, she'd felt it cut to the right when she jumped. Seras sighed, pausing on a branch, her breath perpetually panting. She scratched her head nudging the soft fabric of her hat. Did she loose it? She readjusted it and looked around the forest. She saw nothing, felt nothing.

And then. It came.

Turning to the left, she briefly felt it barrel into her tree before the sudden jerk knocked her to the ground. Midair, she flipped. Landing on her feet, she took off down the path pushing her speed to its limit. She felt it climb steadily like the needle in a dashboard. It couldn't follow. It couldn't keep up, she thought. But to her surprise, the being - the large massive shadow of energy - did more than that.

In less than a millisecond, it ran to her side meeting her speed then pushed it, breaking it like an elephant a mouse. The next thing she knew**, **it was leading **her** down the trail. Cockily, it crossed in front of her just barely cutting her off mid step. She stumbled then cursed.

Seras glared even as a small smirk broke slyly across her face. She laughed. So, it was a race.

_Fine._

Eagerly, she pushed her legs harder. They bent and pumped, circling automatically like the gears on a train - up, down, pus,h repeat. Her breath came out in a steady hum as she tried to move pass the cocky bastard. But as she weaved, the being weaved. When she turned, he turned. Cutting her off, he kept her behind him like a dog a leash. It was annoying.

She was ready to burst. Her lungs filled with screaming air, when suddenly he booked to the right, trailing off into the woods. Seras slowed down to a stop looking after where he left. Her chest heaved erratically. Bewildered, she lifted her hat and scratched her hair. Dull nails gently frayed her ever increasing flyways before she carefully replaced it. Had it just?

_ No. _

She sighed, feeling the presence trot eagerly back before stopping in front of her. It stood patiently just outside of the trail. Seras tilted her head. "What," she yelled. "What do you want?" She put a hand on her hip and shifted her weight.

For a moment, the being did nothing. Then, it jogged a careless circle around her before heading back in the direction it ran. A leap a way it stopped as if waiting.

Seras blew a frustrated breath into her bangs. It wanted her to follow.

_Great. _

Going could be bad. It could be a trap. It could be a game. Worse, it could get her lost. She sighed. It could be many things, each possibility as uncertain as the next. Yet, she was certain of one thing. She was damn right curious. It killed her.

Growling lowly, she took a step forward then promptly panicked.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Into Summer

"You shouldn't trust me," the voice argued. "I am a demon just as you are. We are not to be trusted."

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Into Summer, a Bigger Trap?**

* * *

The step was small. Miniscule really, just a movement of a toe, a tapping of a foot, but for the shadow it was enough. A decision. An action. A choice once chosen that could never be taken back. That was all it needed. For instantly, the shadow raced through the trees weaving deftly like she had only moments before.

Seras promptly panicked. She started and stumbled."Wait," she yelled stepping after it.

Slowly, she climbed over a fallen tree, her eyes taking in its countless brothers. They were clustered together like a crowd in a mall. Their leaves. Their bark. Their canopies. They all made her feel claustrophobic. Still, she determinedly pushed passed them, her hands nudging at their branches.

"Wait," she cried. "Hey – wait up!"

Buckling, Seras forgot her hesitations and began to sprint. After the thing, after her choice, she blindly chased it like the moon did the sun, and yet she wasn't alarmed.

Headed East, she ran deeper into the forest edging closer to the untouched wilderness. In the moonlight, the Rockies shimmered. In their majesty, they were dressed in their finest robe. They were an elegant lady clothed in white, noble in her silent beauty. Exhaling, she forcefully tore her eyes away knowing that in them she'd easily be lost. She raced over glen and meadow, stream and river focused instead on her path, on the milestones that were leading her far from her reach of Forks and would eventually lead her back. It kept her curiosity from overgrowing and her worry from overtaking her as she raced after her guide. That was, of course, until it stopped.

In sheer awe, Seras halted just inside the tree line. Her eyes were wide even as her mind boggled. With slight fatigue, she focused on the being in front of her.

Confidently, it pranced, skirted around a meadow covered in summer green grass. It circled around it, a small raised mound from which a large tree rose high into the air. The trunk was thick and brown, its bark rough and healthy. Like a flaky pie crust over apples baked, it clothed it from root to limb. The branches parted and tangled. They were weaved into a lattice work of wood and dew. Like a wrought iron gate, they were robed, shrouded in tattered vines. Seras squinted and lifted her head. Her glided eyes narrowed in curiosity. Golden apples swayed in its imposing branches revolving gently in the humid breeze. She licked her lips and sighed. The wind clashed unexpectedly, pleasantly. The cold bite of winter's breath ringed the small glen like a besieging army. It felt good.

Seras swallowed uncertain of what to do. But then her guiding presence, the ghostly being hidden from her sight, silently approached her. Stepping behind, it nudged her into the small circle making her feel the immediate change of winter into summer, from death into life. Yet even as her body welcomed the warmth, her feet dragged. As her eyes gazed longingly at the bright golden apples hanging from the crisp twirling branches, her heart lurched. Her mind raced. This was bad, but she didn't know why. Still, she couldn't stop. She couldn't step away.

Slowly, uncertainly, she stepped towards the tree piercingly aware of the cold hand-nose-gun prodding gently at her back. Seras bit her lip and took off her hat waiting respectively for someone to appear. After a moment of just silence, of many standing below the tree's branches, she began to relax and get offended. Nothing was happening. She turned and glared at the presence behind her with a ready curse on her lips when a soft billowing laugh broke into her silence.

"Who is this standing on my roots," it said. "Inhaling the breadth my oxygen - oh… you look tired."

A voice rasped sounding like the crackling of wood, the rough knocking of branches. Hearing it, Seras looked around her. She tried to find someone, feel someone, but she got nothing - well, nothing except sleeping plants and the tree.

Then suddenly, it clicked. Seras stepped back looking up at the wide canopy, the thick ancient trunk. She swallowed as she scanned for a limb - a nose, or a hole for an eye, something for a mouth. Curious at not seeing anything, she cautiously began to walk around the plant. Her mind absently noted her guide who settled somewhere in the grass. She was a third of the way around when she heard the voice again. It's tenor made her heart leap.

"Well, aren't you going to answer me? Your aura doesn't feel like you are a dumb animal and I can hear your footsteps. You walk on two legs meaning you must have a mouth and mouths were made for talking."

By the time the rambling was complete, Seras was once again at the beginning of her circle just as puzzled and bewildered as when she started. She could hear a voice, but she couldn't tell where it came from. She crossed her arms and tilted her head. "How can I answer when I can't see to whom I am speaking." Her tone reflected her curiosity and nervousness and abruptly she replaced her hat.

The voice huffed even as the wind, the cold winter wind that turned into a pleasant breeze, picked up speed. The leaves of the tree rattled and ruffled. Like a bird his feathers, it spoke, "One does not need to see to speak. If they did all blind people would be mutes and would be hated even worse than they are now. And I know you can answer, because I know you can speak, because I heard you. You lied to me."

Seras's hands jerked to her hips. "What do you mean that I lied," she demanded. "I do not lie!"

The voice hummed. "You too lied!" It explained. "You said, 'How can I answer when I cannot see to whom I am speaking.' But I know you can see for you have eyes. I know you have eyes for I can see them. And I have seen since you entered through my barrier that you have been staring at me since then. You walked around me. You stand on my roots and breathe my oxygen and lust after my children's cradle like others before you. You have seen me and now, you will answer."

Seras blinked. "You complain, but I can't see your eyes or your mouth. How can I trust you?"

"You shouldn't trust me," the voice exclaimed. "I am a demon just as you are. We are not to be trusted. For it is in our nature to deceive and what not. It's what we are, don't you know?"

"I do know," Seras replied. "What' s your name?"

She asked expecting an answer. And yet, she was ignored.

"And I do have a face! I have eyes that see and a nose that can hear and…" the voice paused while the bark on the tree began to pop and ruffle, moving and shifting like scales. Two dark holes split open revealing eyes that were hallow and sunken in. They sat crusty under a ridge of raised bark that acted more like eyebrows and eyelids than tree foliage. They squinted before narrowing in frustration. "The issue with you kind is that you have faces at all. You do not need a face to communicate. Body language gets in the way of important things and it takes up too much time."

In spite her frustration at not being heard, Seras laughed. "What kind of important things, like collecting sunlight, butterflies and birds?"

"What's wrong with catching sunlight," the tree growled. "It nourishes my roots and its more effective than what you lot do. Running around all day. Look at you, your chest is moving faster than my leaves in a blizzard and your fur is ruffled and your bark is an unhealthy shade of red. I've never seen the like. It looks positively dismal."

_Fur?!_ Seras self-consciously patted her head tucking her windswept hair behind her ears. She growled. This was what sucked about having long hair. Even with the hat, it still got everywhere.

She sighed. Looking up at the night sky, she noted the position of the stars. "I have been running a while."

It was true. She was tired, but it wasn't a bad feeling. "It feels good," she admitted out loud. She took a deep breath. "It feels good to be outside."

"It should," the tree barked. His eyebrows shifted ominously. "It's the most natural state. Why would anyone wish to live somewhere with something hovering over your head all the time? I can't fathom it."

Seras raised an eyebrow. "For the same reason why someone would use a barrier to hide from the winter." She shrugged, "Seems really unnatural to me."

The tree putted. She couldn't believe it, but it did. The tree putted, a sound that was a cross between a cough and a huff, which in turn made Seras smirk. The tree's glare only intensified. "Anyway," he mumbled shaking his leaves. "You look tired."

Seras took a deep breath smelling the softly sweet aroma, the apples hanging above her head. She raised a lethargic hand allowing her fingertips rub her crest. "It has been a long day," she confessed. "And I still have to run back to the house." Turning around, she looked towards the place she'd entered, trying to remember the path she took. Was it left at the rock, or right at the stream? She paused. For some reason, the memory was getting blurry.

H-how did she get here? Was she following someone? She looked around the meadow trying to find an aura, a glimpse of a person, but there was nothing.

"Something wrong," the tree asked. "You look… pale."

Seras shook her head. "No, I'm okay." She sniffed and robbed her nose. The smell was getting overwhelming, it was almost too sweet.

"Maybe you should rest here for the evening. My barrier will protect you and I will keep watch. I am faithful in that, at least."

Looking for someplace comfortable, Seras frowned. The offer was very tempting. Yet, even where she stood, she could feel the unforgiving knots of roots. They were berried beneath the earth's surface. She shook her head and looked away. Perhaps, there was place outside.

Knowing the issue, the tree purred. "Don't worry, little demoness. You don't have to leave. I have a place for you to rest. It's large and comfortable. Better than anything in here or out there." The tree nodded towards the forest leading Seras to follow his prompting. She turned her head and looked out the barrier. Through its transparent magic, she could see the winter storm rapidly build into a full out blizzard. Her eyes widened. The white reflected off of her pupils. When did that happen?

She automatically shivered and looked away. She did not want to venture into THAT. Not again, nor so gritted her teeth. "What do you have in mind," she asked.

The words barely wafted from her lips, when she watched amazed as the tree began to morph. The arch between its two protruding roots began to rise from the earth revealing within it a dark velvet hole. Her eyes gazed into empty darkness and blinked. With some kind of luminous bulb, the hole instantly ignited lighting the tree's interior from somewhere inside. Its warm golden glow revealed a small little room covered in red moss. It looked soft and warm, cozy like a woolen blanket outlining a heated sleeping bag. Seras smiled and stepped forward. Even as her tired, beyond fatigued gaze settled longingly at the soft wooden floor, the soft walls that looked like they would cocoon her in comfort, she was not alarmed. She took another step. Then another. Then vaguely, she heard a soft high pitched whine call out to her before the entrance closed and she was engulfed in darkness.

Outside, the moon shone silently, the storm faded, and the forest settled. No one saw her vanish.


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Out of Uncertainty

Edward rolled his eyes and continued to play, his deft fingers melding his tune from a lullaby to a dance to a dirge. "Trust me, Bella," he breathed. Quietly, he looked down at his hand. The ring that was not a ring glimmered softly in the light. "She'll be back," he sneered. "I know it."

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Out of Uncertainty**

* * *

sphygmomanometer , n. That arm band thing they check your blood with at the doctor. With a name that long, no wonder why they never call it by its name. Eh.

Edward blinked. He stared. Sitting at the piano with his hands on the keys, his body perked and straightened. He focused on the music in front of him. The keys were smooth. The lid was popped. The piano was spotless, a baby grand apt and poised ready for his performance. It was silk, he thought, smooth, hard, and luxurious.

He took a breath then plucked a note. Blinked again, plucked two. Snatched three. Inhaled. Stole four. Five. Six. Eight. Trailing, following, leading, he painted black rich lines rising and falling like ink in a fountain, like lace on a summer day. But when his speed, the quickness of his fingers, rose fast out of their sluggish pace, he barely withheld a groan. He cursed (silently) realizing his prancing presto didn't match the adagio written strictly on the page, on the withered music before him. He gritted his teeth while his fingers marched on. They lifted and fell steadily, rigidly, running in time to fumbling footsteps he could only see and hear.

Beyond his sight, a slender body tipped out of his gaze. In seconds, it returned. It was more reliable than a metronome, he thought. Sighing, he stopped playing. His fingers stumbled. Accidentally tripping over two keys at once, they caused the footsteps to stutter and turn.

Edward placed his hands on top of the piano before looking into golden dark eyes. The two mirrors blinked back at him in a steady rhythm. In his head, he counted the beat. One, two, three-laa-lee, four. His fingers interlocked. The ring, bouncing with them, silently clicked on the piano's surface. He winced. He prayed, hoping to God that he didn't scratch the varnish. Holding his breath, he took a look. He exhaled. He hadn't. _Good_. He looked up and counted again.

One, two, three-laa-lee, fifty. He sighed. "Will you stop doing that? No matter what you do, walking back and forth isn't going to bring her back any faster."

"I-I know that," Bella replied. Absently, she looked towards the door, her eyes darting through its curtained windows. Even still, she couldn't see anything. Not beyond them, anyway. Eventually, she give in.

"I know that." She'd whispered the words, hoping that this time she'd believe them. She didn't, couldn't. Shaking her head, Bella moved to sit down, her hands rubbing aimlessly together. The couch groaned. She tried to focus on the TV before her, but she couldn't. She crossed her arms, wiggled a toe, played with the edge of an earring. Still, she eventually stopped. The silence stole her attention. It was overwhelming. It wouldn't be ignored. She lowered her head. Why had he stopped playing?

After a moment, Bella turned and regarded the other person in the room. A man sat casually next to her reading a worn out volume. He was quiet and aloof, like always.

From his place in the arm chair, Jasper didn't look up, didn't move except, of course, to lift one calloused particular hand. His bulky fingers turned slowly a dusty old page while his voice carried beyond the small chair; beyond the dreary world he was immersed. "Edward has a point," Jasper agreed. His southern accent was drawn and warm like the fire dancing in the hearth.

Gradually, Bella relaxed.

"She said she'll be back in the morning. If you are going to worry, worry then. Then we'll know for certain if something's wrong."

"It's just. It feels so weird not having her here." Bella ran her hands up and down her arms. It was a nervous gesture born of habit instead of need, like everything else in this life. She didn't need to scratch. She didn't need to blink. She watched him turn a page. "And with everything… you saw when she left. She looked-"

"She will be fine. " Edward proclaimed. "And I guarantee you she'll be back, regardless of her mental state. What you should be worried about is working tomorrow. You should practice your blinking. It's faster than a human's pace."

Bella groaned and slouched further into the sofa. "I'm not worried," she mumbled. She blinked slowly, consciously, careful of the beat. One, two, three, thirty-three and a half. Was it too fast?

She stopped, counted, then groaned.

Jasper chuckled. He turned another page. "I'm sure you'll get it eventually."

Smiling, Edward's fingers moved. Ghosting quickly over the milky white keys, he tickled them, messing with the first few notes of her lullaby, of his song written for her.

Hearing it, Bella sighed. "At least, it's only a few hours. Those contacts kill." She paused letting a hand ghost along her thigh. Her song began to take off. Rising and falling like the wind in a storm, like a curved line on a page. It bloomed before her eyes. Closing them, she could easily see it. In her mind, it was drawn by hand, a brush on faded parchment. The ink splattered. It jumped, twirled, curved, raced, paced, panicked, ran, shot, bled, vanished.

She bolted to her feet. Once again, she paced near the door causing her husband to groan, Jasper to turn a page and her brother-in-law to yell down the stairs. "You seriously need calm down!"

"Really, Bella," Edward said softly. "She'll be-"

"How can you be so sure," she asked. "You of all people would want her gone. You would be happy if she left, right? So, why would you say that? How do you know?"

Edward rolled his eyes. He continued to play changing his tone from a lullaby to a dance to a dirge. "Trust me Bella," he breathed. He looked down at silver that was not silver, at a ring that was not a ring. It glimmered softly in the night, in the spotlight around him. "She'll be back. I know it."

Her bed was moving. In her sleep, Seras crinkled her eyebrows marveling at the sensation. Up, down. In, out. Her blankets and cushions wrapped around her like a sleeping bag a mouse. It pulsed, squeezing her body like a heartbeat blood, like a sphygmomanometer arms and veins. Embracing and unembracing, squeezing and unsqueezing steadily, calmly, she opened an eye.

Seras moved as her body rocked. She turned over, then stilled. She frowned coming to the sure realization that she was stuck. She couldn't move, couldn't feel substance under her feet. She opened both eyes then looked up. Her frown suddenly deepened.

Though the room was dark, there was light. As she gaped, she spied a hole boring itself into the ceiling. It was tiny and distant. Yet, it was hope! Through it, she could see sun and leaves, branches – many branches- blowing in the wind. Birds were singing. The sun blared. She squinted. It didn't penetrate far into the hole, but its light was enough for her to see. She scrunched her nose. Colors were everywhere, wrapped around her like the coils of a snake making the walls appear red and soft. She evaluated them. They were squishy, but abnormally strong; muscular in look and feel.

Seras calmly blinked. She tried to recall how she got there. The memory was clearer, brighter than the evening prior. She remembered the invisible being she'd followed. She remembered the small meadow and the tree. She narrowed her eyes. She definitely remembered the tree (and its attitude). She also remembered the smell of apples, her mind blurring and then… she remembered.

She must have been led into the hole.

She cursed. _Idiot_, she thought_. _She wanted to hit her forehead with her hand, but she couldn't. _Stupid tree._ She growled and then cursed again. Still… she did it calmly.

Um…

Did it very, very calmly.

So calmly, in fact, that her heart picked up speed as she tried to wiggle out from between the coils.

So calmly, she shifted left and right trying to climb up toward the hole.

When that didn't work, she calmly gritted her teeth and tried not to scream.

She succeeded.

Almost.

Frustrated, Seras let some of her power seep through her second seal. It caused her nails to sharpen and her temperature to rise. The tree just calmly groaned, but Seras didn't know that. In fact, the sound encouraged her. She twisted. Violently.

Moving her arms, she slid them up, up between her body, up past the walls until they were free above her head. They hoisted weakly, her hands dangling in the open space where the coils curved away becoming bark, moss, and _stupid tree_. Away from her nose and face, she wondered why it hadn't suffocated her. It could have. In fact, it should have. She tilted her head. She was astonished that it hadn't.

Seras huffed as she reached up to claw at the inner lining. Yet when her hand came down towards the stubborn flesh, her heart sank stubbornly with it. Sharp, you ask. Were they sharp? Vicious, they were, her nails. Still, they did not pierce through the thick substance. Her hand? It was just swallowed up inside. Like memory form, like an over abundance of fat and blubber, the walls just calmly wrapped around it until she couldn't move.

Seras swallowed. Her eyebrows knotted. In seconds, they became panicked angry furrowed knits that wouldn't budge like the stupid walls around her.

Still, she wouldn't scream. She would remain calm.

She just needed to think this out. She couldn't move. She couldn't claw out. What about her fire?

Slowly, Seras let more of her power rise carefully within her, careful, in case her sickness persisted. When it didn't, she bit her lip and let her fire flare. From her palms, she aimed it at the walls around them. It lit up the room. It produced a smile.

She expected a scream, for the tree to flail, and get angry. Anything, but what it did do.

It purred.

She blinked.

It purred and moaned like a contented house cat before its walls wrapped around her even snugger… um, more snuggly.

Seras eyebrows flew to the brim of her bangs. It liked fire? She frowned and took a breath. In, out. Up, down. She would remain fuckin- ah fuck that! What more could she do?!

Bewildered, Seras looked around listening to the tree's purr steadily tapper off into a different rhythm. It suspiciously sounded like a snore. She growled. It was sleeping? Her eyes dulled and an eyebrow twitched.

"I am not your personal heater," She yelled. Wiggling more violently, Seras glared. "Hey!"

When nothing happened, she called out again louder. "Hello! Wake up!," She flailed her legs. She kicked her feet. Even as she felt the inside of the walls jerk, it didn't change anything. Her hair loosened from its braid. The snore turned into a full out snort and then promptly regulated. She whimpered. "Wake up . You're going to... Hello! Let me-"

She kicked and wiggled more.

And more.

And more until the walls were forced to hold on tighter. Quickly, they expanded nearly covering her chin and the back of her head. The light began to fade. Panicked, she looked down at the dark padding. She grimaced, knowing and dreading what she had to do, hoping it would work.

Calmly, she scrunched her eyes.


	20. Chapter Twenty: Into Frustration

**Ascension**

**Chapter Twenty**

**Into Frustration: The Worse Day Ever, part one**

* * *

All in all, Seras really didn't mind being a dragon. She could deal with her handicap of not being able to go out into the cold for long. She didn't really mind her horns, or her tail, or her wings. She really liked her wings, in fact. She loved her ability to breathe fire and to curl up into scaly balls and sleep like no tomorrow - not something that all youkai did, nor needed. And even with the cons, the hording, the constant desire to steal stuff, even her uncontrollable sometimes irrational anger streak weren't really all that bad. They were manageable, she thought. Cope-able, if that was a word. She grimaced knowing it wasn't. But what she hated more than anything in all the entire universes combined into one single pixel of space was her venom.

She hated it. It was slow. It was sticky and it smelt like old leather shoes submerged in dog crap and olives. It _tasted_ like old leather shoes submerged in dog crap and olives. Not that she'd tasted these things to know how to compare them, but she was a scientist of sorts. She could hypothesize rather accurately if she wanted to.

Thus, when she found herself wrapped within the tree's cross between a tongue, an intestine, and whatever else it used its chamber organ for (she really didn't want to know) unable to move and unable fight back, she closed her eyes knowing and dreading what she had to do. Hopefully, it would work.

Seras bared her fangs and opened her mouth. Then slightly, she pulled her bound hands to her face lowering her head towards them. Then, her jaw snapped. She bit down on the fleshy muscular substance tasting wood, blood, dirt, and moss. She whimpered. It tasted awful. Still, she persevered. Feeling her saliva coat her fangs and throat, she waited for the venom glands in her mouth to activate, making them swell and leak like cheese in the hand of the brave little tailor. She could taste it, the bitter bile, as it shifted through her gums. It leaked down into the tares of the lining causing the tree to jerk, moan, and yell in pain. The walls immediately deflated and the room swelled causing her foot to land on something soft like earth. Yet, she held on blinking, growling, shaking her head left and right until the floor lurched. The entrance shot open spewing her screaming violently out through the air and onto a small pile of what felt like fur and bone.

Seras shook her head, even as she wiped the last bit of venom and blood from her mouth, even as she looked down at the broken deer carcasses she had landed on. She made a face and rose. Her eyes carefully watched the tree as its branches drooped. Its roots squirmed and trembled under the earth beneath her feet. Its scream was a moan. His eyes were wide though filled with sleep.

Seras took a step forward careful of the apples that were falling from its branches. Spying one, she crouched and retrieved it before standing once more. Absently watching the tree, who was slowly calming down and watching her like a hawk, she cleaned it on her shirt and then cut it open with her claws. It was crying softly by the time it noticed she was plucking the seeds out one by one. Collecting them in her hand, she carefully dropped the apple and walked a little ways from the tree, just outside its shadow. Then she knelt and dug a small hole into the earth. Carefully, she deposited the seeds inside it and covered them up, her hands smudging with dirt.

Standing, she brushed her palms on her slacks and straightened her clothing aware of the silence now infiltrating the small abandoned meadow. She turned to the tree and tilted her head.

It glared. "You bite me and plant my children. I give you a place to rest and you bite me in return poisoning me in my sleep."

"You are not poisoned," Seras replied haughtily. She put her hands on her hips. "My venom paralyzes my victims and it's only temporary. Normally, it takes a day for them to recover, but your branches are already perking and your leaves are still green. Apparently, you are unaffected."

The tree mumbled something under his breath, coughing and sputtering like an old man. He was blatantly offended by the fact that she'd all but called him a baby for crying over the bite. It hurt, damn it. He curled his roots and narrowed his eyes. "It was still uncalled for."

"You were asleep," Seras accused.

"A natural state!"

"You tried to suffocate me!"

"You were warm. I was enjoying your heat!"

Seras puffed her cheeks. "You tried to eat me!" She pointed at the pile of deer at her feet. "Just like them, you lured me into your hole using the smell of your apples. What was I supposed to think?"

"If I wanted you dead," the tree ground out. "You would be! And I am an honorable apple tree. I know enough not to devour a black dragon from the Aokigahara forest."

Seras' eyes immediately dulled as she curled her lip. "And what makes you think that I hold claim to such a title."

The earth trembled slightly as the tree lifted the right side of its trunk. It pulled its roots up about a foot from the ground. Seras' eyes narrowed even further. It was smirking at her, in its own rough way. "How could I not know? The earth may be split and human memory wiped of its history. The demons in their generations may have forgotten the earth's secrets, but us - the plants, the rivers, the mountains -we live on regardless of the state of the world. We pass them on from generation to generation. We remember what others do not."

Alarmed, Seras took a step back, her hands dropping and fisting.

The tree snickered; the sound slithering and shifting like sandpaper on logs, like saw dust blown in the air. "Ha. Do not be afraid, young one. I told you, I am an honorable demon descendant from a long line of Japanese apples brought over by the leader of the western wolf tribe himself."

Cautiously, Seras relaxed lifting an eyebrow. "You know Kouga?"

The tree's branches shifted, its leaves shuffled in the early morning breeze. "Not I, but my father. He was brought over as a young sapling and planted in the midst of their new territory. I was seeded and planted here by a robin a couple of years later. I do know his son, though. It was, in fact, he that lead you here and probably left that pile of flesh at your feet. He normally brings me one or two live prey. I'm assuming, therefore, that those are for you. Perhaps, you have attracted for yourself an admirer, young dragoness."

"His son?" Seras pondered. "Does he have a seal that makes him invisible?" She wasn't sure if the being was exactly who they were speaking of, but she had an inkling.

"No," the tree replied, his tone softening, only minutely. Still, she heard the difference. "The prince's ability is one of natural birth. As you imagine, it makes him somewhat of an outcast in his pack. It's why he tends to run outside of the territory and spends most of his days with me. He is lucky that his father approves and knows of my existence. Such behavior is not fitting for someone of his station.

"Yet, I understand it. Uniformity is an expected requirement in wolf packs. Grand powers, even from those of higher rank, can divide loyalties and cause internal trouble. Being different has earned him the sink eye from many of his peers and elderlings."

Seras sighed and nodded, recalling what little she knew of the species. They have no powers beyond the ability to control wolves and the standard heightened speed and agility that all demons possess. They pride themselves in using their own strength and instincts to survive relying little on external weapons, though they keep them for ornamental reasons. The only weapon they have been recorded to use was the Goraishi, an energy claw which has only appeared twice - once during the fight with Naraku, and the second during the Last Great War, the war that split the earth. It was confirmed that Kouga had possessed it on both occasions. Though it was not unheard of for wolves to be born with exceptional powers, due to the inner strife the abilities brought, the cubs were traditionally married off or sold as a price to secure an alliance, mostly with another tribe who would value such a fighter.

"He has a long rough road ahead of him if they won't accept his gift," she said. Seras shook her head and looked down at the pile of deer. "I can't eat all of this. Do you want some," she asked.

"The number of wolf demons on this side of the divide has dwindled significantly," the tree argued. "If he doesn't find favor and they push him out, his options are minimal."

Seras crinkled her eyebrows and looked back at the tree. "What do you mean? There is life outside of hiding. He would just have to merge in with humanity like the rest of us."

But the tree's eyes twitched and his branches dipped and quivered. "As if it was so easy. He was born wolf, not human. He will never change and he's large like his grandfather, the alpha of the eastern tribe. There is no merging for him."

Sighing, Seras' shoulders slouched under the weight of the situation. It tugged at her heart, even though she was outside of it. "That's unfortunate. Hopefully, it won't happen." She crossed her arms carelessly and kicked a carcass. "Are you sure you don't want any of this?"

The tree looked at the pile and his branches perked. "I never said that I didn't. I'm a growing apple tree and I need all the nourishment I can get."

Seras sneered. "You didn't say anything and I assumed."

"Your issue is that you assume too much."

"Not answering is the same as saying no."

"Says who," the tree puffed.

When Seras hesitated, the tree grinned, his roots rising from the earth. "As I thought. You will listen to an old lady and feed her her breakfast."

_Old lady?! The thing is a girl? How could you tell?_ Seras eyebrows twitched even as she resisted the need to wipe her face with her hand. Sighing, she hefted two deer and threw them over her shoulder before trudging over to the tree. Its trap gaped wide ready to devour them whole. Looking in, Seras crinkled her nose at the smell of the mucus that now coated the walls of the inner room. Abruptly, she threw the carcasses in and shuttered. She didn't know trees could smell this awful.

After making two more trips, leaving the last two for herself, Seras stepped up to the tree and watched its bark and trunk swell and move as it chewed. Though her face was still scrunched under the weight of her disgust, Seras could admit that seeing the thing eat was fascinating in its own way. Putting her hand on her hip, she tilted her head.

Seeing the question form on her tongue, the tree swallowed (How? She didn't know.) then settled itself fully into the earth. It starred, waiting for words to tumble forth and sprout. It blinked. Then, just as Seras opened her mouth to speak, it interrupted. "My name is Quinn."

Seras narrowed her eyes. _It did that on purpose._ She tried again, only to once again be cut off.

"I didn't choose it. The cub did. But I find myself in my old age of 185 that yes I have grown partial to it over the years. But that is to me an odd thing for trees do not have names."

Seras nodded. "What-"

"And yes, I do know about the boy's tribe and what it is like and how it is hidden." The tree's eyes narrowed. "I could see the question grow in your mind like roots. And I realize that as a tree, my use is for the delivery of knowledge from the earth to those who walk in it. I know my duty, which is different from my father's who sits high over the mountain like den of the eastern wolf tribe. He is large and strong, nearly 190 years old, and in him is a crystal from which the power of their barrier is held. If you destroy the barrier, you destroy him. Destroy him and you will destroy the barrier.

The barrier's strength lies not in its structure. It's weak as any other. Its strength lies in its invisibility. It's why it can't be found, but there are those who remember its location. If you find it and strike it, it will appear and disintegrate. Yet, once destroyed, it will not reemerge unless the crystal is retrieved from the tree and given to another. Once the power is tied to the new host, the barrier will reemerge. Still, this is troublesome. It is best to use courtesy and diplomacy. Perhaps, you could enter freely without such destructive means. I do not favor being an orphan."

When the tree paused to yawn, Seras' eyes widened as she rushed to get in her next question. "Who knows where it is and how can I get them to lead me to it?"

The tree closed its trap and blinked sleepily. Perhaps, she had fed it too much. Its branches lowered. "Show the human chief your crest. The La Push land belonged to the western tribes originally. Thus, the humans would recognize it, if only vaguely. The natives remember us. The chief will lead you."

Seeing the tree settle further into the earth and close its eyes, Seras shook her head knowing that this was all she was going to get. Sighing, she looked up to the sky seeing the sun beam down at her slightly from the east. It was early morning and she was ways away from the house. If she left now, she could make it by noon. Decided, Seras bent and plucked up the last two deer. She threw them over her shoulder taking off towards the sunrise, her mind dizzy with information.

The tree watched her silently and shook its head. It decided it would sleep and wake in a centuries time. Something in the east was stirring. It was evil and she could feel it taint the earth even from across the ocean. She did not want to witness it.


	21. Chapter Twenty One: into Discovery

Bella took a step back. The wolf watched her, his eyes silently shifting from hers to Edward's and back. He took a step forward.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Twenty One**

**Into Discovery: The Worse Day Ever, part two**

* * *

It was a quarter past 1 am by the time Aro acknowledged the presence looming in his throne room. It was a quarter pass 1 am and it was raining. He could hear it.

Tilting his head back, he felt it drum steadily upon the cobbled street above him. It was mesmerizing, relaxing even. The sound was like the grains of sand falling blindly through the narrow waist of an hourglass. Accompanied by the chime of a nearby clock, it was like the drum roll hailing the beginning of an execution. The thought made him smile. Time. Death. Blood. Lowering his head, Aro's lips spread thinly across his face while pleasing thoughts, disturbing thoughts, haunting thoughts flashed brilliantly behind curtain draped eyes. He split them open revealing maroon cast irises. They were dark and dull with time, milky white from sin and coarse planning. Still, they glimmered in the light, in the dim light that caressed him like a shadow.

Eventually, he lifted a hand, a slow ancient hand to extend bone thin fingers. They contorted to push back long straw corded hair from his face before extending themselves forward. Two fingers bent indicating for the silent presence to enter into the light, the darkness that was his light, to reveal soft slick blonde hair, stern young skin and dense piercingly vicious red eyes. They were eyes that he himself had colored, tainted using the power racing through his veins. Again, he smiled. Again, it broadened even as he leaned back on his throne watching the figure walk steadily to his side. She kneeled before him taking his condescending hand between soft harsh fingers. She kissed it, even as he offered it.

"My Lord," the figure spoke softly, hesitantly.

Aro promptly retrieved his hand, then used it to prop his head tilting it ever so slightly. His fingers, deft and graceful, casually outlined the plump flesh of his cold pale lips. They lingered a moment before his voice, just as soft, just as deceivingly elegant broke through the silent isolation filling the room. "You know, there are many differences between our two great races. But do you know what difference is foremost in my mind right now?"

Jane lifted her head and gazed at him. She remained silent knowing that what he'd asked was rhetorical.

"The treatment of fledglings is so barbaric on the other side. For them, their offspring are nothing more than slaves bound indefinitely by blood, soul, and conscious thought. They have no privacy, no dignity, no standing apart from the standing of their Master, at least until he releases them. But even that isn't a guaranteed thing, especially to those who are… disobedient.

"But our fledglings, they are more than just slaves. They are our children tied by the intangible force of loyalty and devotion, things far stronger than any mere physical bond. Although, I suppose, there are those who abuse such sentimentalities." He paused. He watched her. "There is, however, one other difference. Do you know what that is?"

Aro slowly rose to his feet and walked towards the center of the circular dungeon. Jane, from her position on the floor, watched him silently. Her narrowed eyes trailed him carefully. She swallowed and then spoke, her voice soft and husky. "Independence, my Lord."

Aro's smile was incorrigible, shameless in its brilliance. "Yes, independence. Like the hatchlings of a crocodile, it takes nothing besides time for one of our fledglings to find their maturity and scatter. It's expected, which makes the loyalty of a fledgling evermore a precious thing. There is something to be said about a servant who willingly and loyally stays with his Master. Something significant, indeed." He looked back at her and motioned her forward.

Eagerly, Jane rose and approached him, her gaze piercing and focused like a hawk.

"You have something for me," he said. His smile broadened slightly. "I can see it in your eyes. What else would cause you to abandon your brother and your post."

Jane resisted the urge to lick her lips knowing that doing so would be improper. Instead, against her desire to do otherwise, she extended a slim perfectly pale ivory painted hand of which Aro engulfed eagerly. Between two cold and rigid palms, they were linked, temporarily connected not by blood or soul, but conscious thought alone.

In silence, she watched him as his smile wilted slightly. His eyes dulled in focused concentration. Then, she felt it. Her memory shifted, flipped, and flashed vaguely behind her eyes. Even still, she was aware; enough so, that she was able to catch the ever constant smile on her Maker's face extend exponentially.

Aro's laughter flooded the room. It elegantly floated lightly within the darkness around them. "And so she has resurfaced. Excellent! What an utterly delicious opportunity. And what's more is that the great eccentric Dr. Carlisle Cullen has given me exactly what I wished from him. How splendid." His smile was sly as he broke contact from his Childe. "How splendid!"

Jane watched in cold silence knowing that he had seen far more than just black wings and golden eyes. She swallowed as she watched him turn away and walk towards the entrance.

Eventually, she spoke. She dared to speak. "What now," she asked.

Pausing at the door, Aro began to play with the collar and gold buttons on his black robe preparing as if to remove it. Breaking it open, he revealed the bright brilliant gleam of the white priestly robe hidden underneath. It glimmered ominously while his playful conning red eyes stooped sternly to seek hers. "My dear, that isn't something for you to ask," he scolded. "But if you must know. I go to prepare a meeting with my followers on this topic. It is time that their patron saint made a notable appearance. This will be, of course, after I inform my brothers of this wonderful news you have brought me. It will be a long night, but after 60 years, I may finally get what I want."

For a moment, Aro stopped and listened to the rain. For a moment further, he decided in his wisdom that it wasn't the drum roll of an execution that he could hear, nor the sands of time falling. It was steady drums of war rising on the horizon. He smirked, then looked down at his childe. He loved war. "You will stay here. I will give you your assignment when I return. Meanwhile, call your brother and tell him to keep an eye on the dragon, and that despicable excuse of a vampire. Tell him to call if something else happens." With that, he left not caring to hear her affirmation. He didn't need to.

* * *

Bella wasn't sure what started it, the kiss that stole her breath away. They had been talking about mundane things, about her time on the job, about her boss and his eccentricities, when she finally noticed it. Edward's gaze mid-conversation, maybe a little before, lowered slightly. His eyes, two dirty blonde gems of melted topaz, stooped to caress the soft pink flesh of her mouth. He wasn't listening. Maybe he had in the beginning, she wasn't sure. But, eventually he had stopped and eventually he began to indulge. His gaze devoured hers and her one-sided soliloquy drifted to a stop; a rolling stop that glided smoothly onto cold damp pavement. Still, Bella couldn't find it in her to care.

She returned his glances. Her gaze softened shifting quickly from his lips to his eyes and back again. She licked her own, absently tucked back her hair before leaning forward to meet him. Carelessly, Bella climbed over the arm rest. She clambered over the thick chrome joystick that divided them, separated them like the family feud two lovers of legend until her lips met his. And then…

And then he sighed. It made her gasp, made her heart soar as she heard his answering moan. She felt his hands wrap around her. He lifted her until she was seated in his lap cradled almost painfully between him and the steering wheel. She moaned back, even as she dipped creamy white marble soft hands into those thick bronze waves that were his hair. Her hair. Her fingers meandered exploring those chiseled ivory cheeks that were hers alone to love. Bella felt his cool slick fingers. Warmer than they ever had been when she was human, they scooted mischievously over the curves of her sides. Slyly, they snuck underneath the soft thick fabric of her coarse green sweater.

She saw nothing, felt nothing beyond the slick feel of his lips, his soft tongue pushing past teeth to caress her own questing flesh. Wrestling. Playing. Caressing. Beyond this, she felt nothing, noticed nothing, not the way the windows of his car stayed clear and transparent, nor the way the various humans walking by watched them and blushed. Gasped. Some, especially the younger sort, snickered upon seeing them before each one - one by one, two by four - snuck into the small hardware store with the scene ever present on their lips. Their stories, the not so hushed whispers, promptly alerted the manager. This, of course, caused him to look out the large cluttered window and curse.

Awkwardly, the slender man, a Mr. Green by trade and name dressed in a long apron of the same color, barged out of the door and stormed up to the silver Volvo. He carried with him a long worn broom that was even greener then he was. With quick short raps, he used it to bang on the driver's side window. His curly orange hair puffed and swayed in the cool crisp breeze. He tried for all his worth to look stern and conservative. He tried to keep his hazel eyes on the couple's faces and not on the alluring strip of skin peeking out from under the girl's short sweater. He licked his lips. He tried not to stare at it. At the skin… the way it disappeared seductively down the slightly open back of her under - um - trousers, he swallowed.

Lifting tired baggy middle-aged eyes, he instantly started. Well, he tried not to jump seeing the death glare on her husband's face, the 18 year old boy with 100 year old eyes. He gulped and tightened his grasp on his broom, straightened his apron. Jerkily, he pointed a finger indicating for the two to roll down the window.

Hearing the noise, Bella looked up alarmed. Instantly, she broke the kiss then cursed. She reached over, first clumsily pulling down her shirt. She hit the automatic window. Immediately, it allowed her boss's crisp stuttering words to fumble and tumble in through the wide open crack.

"Now, we will have none of that, Miss Bella. I-I know you are newly married and all, but I have decent folks that I'm servicing and what you are doing is indecent and vulgar. You will break it up and finish out your lunch time in a civil Christian like manner, or not at all. You hear? Or it will be your last. I-I have been descent in holding your job and what not. Please don't take advantage of my generosity. You understand me?"

Mutely, Bella nodded while Edward merely rolled his eyes. Slowly, they separated, each to their respective seats, watching as the man stepped away. His hand gripped tightly around the handle of his broom before he disappeared back into the store.

Briefly, the two sat in silence before a giggle broke softly from between Bella's twisting lips. Edward sighed before adjusting his seat and placing his arms on the steering wheel. "I don't get why you're laughing," he admonished. "He was ogling you like no tomorrow."

"Well." Bella replied, her smile dipping and fading into a smirk. "Perhaps if you didn't kiss me so well, Mr. Cullen, then maybe he wouldn't have any eye candy to stare at in the first place."

In spite the break in his good mood, Edward smiled back at his wife. It was the teasing, self-satisfied smirk that she had learned to love very early in their relationship. "Well, Mrs. Cullens," he said. "I couldn't really resist. You look so endearing in that uniform and I… I missed you while you were away… working."

Bella's answering smile was sweet and shy. For a second, it caught Edward off guard like her lips had only moments before. How long, he wondered. How long had it been since he was free to look at her without the heavy smell of her human blood infiltrating his memory, or her weak gasps and cries that he couldn't stifle. How long? Months? Days? Hours? It seemed like hours.

Unaware of where his thoughts were headed, Bella eyed the clock on his radio and sighed. "I suppose, I should be going. He's only yelled at me a dozen times today. I don't want to give him another opportunity." She shrugged. "I think he's worse than the Grinch. He looks like him, too."

Edward chuckled watching her straighten her uniform. "Well, it's only for a few hours and then you'll be done for a day or two."

Bella hummed in agreement before opening her door and climbed out of the car. Hers was in the shop. It figured she would get a flat on her first day back.

Edward followed suit watching her shuffle unenthusiastically around to his side. Predictably, she meandered back into his awaiting arms. He instantly engulfed her. "And pretty soon you'll be done for good, when we are ready to move that is."

"It's really going to happen isn't it?" She pulled away after accepting his chaste peck on her cheek.

Letting her go regretfully, he sighed. "Having doubts?" He watched her step away from him edging further from the parking lot, closer to the forest that outlined the plaza's left side. Edward's eyebrows crinkled, though in hindsight, he should have known better. He should have expected the way her head shook and her hair spilled from side to side.

"No. I have no regrets. This is what I want and what I was made for. This is just a result of the evitable. People break away from their old lives all the time and now it's my turn. If it wasn't with you, there would have been college, or jobs, or someone else…" Again, Bella's soliloquy died down with the realization that once again he wasn't listening. She huffed taking in his golden stare pointed towards something behind her.

She pursed her lips. She placed two frustrated tightly clenched fists on her hips. "Edward Cullen, for someone who can spend days on end listening to nothing but classical music, your listening skills desperately needs improvement. I'm talking to you and I would really appreciate it if you spent time listening to more than just the first 10 seconds. What are you looking at anyway?" Seeing him blink and stare down at her, clearly not expecting the verbal barrage thrown at him, Bella abruptly turned to look at what he was staring. She ignored his protests immediately, when her jaw dropped. She instinctively stilled.

Standing there on the edge of the forest covered only partially by a low hanging branch was a wolf. It was black and large, bulky and muscled like a bear. Its fur was covered in white from the snow and brown from the mud he had been prancing through. In the shadows, it made him look that much more vicious, more fearsome even. It made his bright piercing blue eyes seem to glow unearthly out of the darkness. Swallowing, Bella took a step back.

The wolf watched her. His eyes silently shifted from hers to Edward's and back. His ears flattened and he took a step forward. He raised a long sniffing snout slowly towards her.

"Edward?" Bella whimpered.

Edward gritted his teeth. His eyes scanned the area noting the dozens of people meandering around the small shopping plaza. There were too many, too many who had also taken notice of the animal stalking slowly towards his wife. "Bella stay still. I'm coming." He took a step forward, but stopped hearing the wolf's growl tare into the air like a razor. The people stopped moving, while some pulled out phones recording, watching, waiting.

The wolf meanwhile, still cautious, approached - his tail down, his nose twitching as he neared Bella. He watched everyone assessing their movements. He got close enough to sniff her feet and pants, the line of her stomach through her uniform.

Uncertain of what to do, Bella attempted to lift her hands out of the way, but the movement caught the wolf's eye. He froze. She froze. Her hands rose slightly. Curiously, he didn't growl just tilted his head before nudging her fingers. It asked without words for her to pet it, like it was any other domestic animal. Tentatively, Bella obliged her heart in her throat.

Though his fur was dirty, it was soft and thick like a rug. In spite the dangers, even as the thing began to lick her hand, she could feel a smile begin to spread slowly across her face. It grew as her adrenaline grew. Then suddenly a shot rang out. The wolf was gone.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two: Out of Habit

One word can change everything, but in the end, it was all Esme's fault.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Twenty Two**

**Out of Habit : The Worse Day Ever, part three**

* * *

If she was human, she observed, the moment after the wolf had bolted probably would have been deathly silent, still in the wake of the relief, astonishment, and sheer shock surrounding her. But for Bella, she wasn't human, at least not anymore. She was too inexperienced in this new life, this new body, this new world to not expressly notice the way the humans now shifted noisily from foot to foot. They slicked and clicked their cameras shut before pausing to let the air suck back into their wheezing lungs. It bordered on annoying, the sound. The way it gasped in and out, pumping to the beat of blood and vessels, living and breathing like she had at one time. Yet, in her shock, Bella could do nothing. She could only stand and stare. She watched the place where it vanished, the place where it appeared.

Taking a breath - unhurried, unneeded - Bella slowly took a step back before her eyes covered in nonprescription plastic shifted to the left towards the man holding a rifle. His hands shook. He, himself, shook. She only had time to meet his eyes before a body attacked her from behind.

"My god, Bella," Edward rushed squeezing her from between lukewarm arms; arms that she remembered being deathly cold at one time, hard as steel and rough as stone. Even now, they were still steel and stone. "Are you okay?"

Mutely, she nodded, her hair spilling, her lips splitting open.

Mr. Green quickly turned the shade of his name. He nearly dropped the gun as a hand toppled to a knee. "You," he said pointing at Bella. His heavy breathing made his words short and whispery like a breeze through a cracked window. "You are one lucky lady."

Edward grimaced pulling away. Grabbing her face between thin palms, piano palms, shaking palms, he pushed back soft brunette hair before taking a breath. He forcefully stepped away, his demeanor changing. He eyed her and muttered. "Are you sure you are alright," he asked again. His chest wasn't heaving, neither was hers.

"Edward," she sighed.

He noted several people begin to crowd around them. Her boss also stepped forward. He gritted his teeth. "It could have bitten you. What were you-"

"You petted it!" Someone exclaimed. "I got it all on camera. It was so unusual."

"Yeah," Mr. Green wheezed. "We have wolves up here, but it's so rare to have one come out in the open like that. You," he said again plopping his hand against his chest. "You are one hell of a lucky lady."

Edward frowned. "I don't know which one of you are more reckless. You," he glared down at Bella, "for petting it, or you for firing a gun when it was clearly in strike range. How did you know if it wouldn't have attacked her after you fired? He was right there."

Edward glowered as Mr. Green just looked at him. He blanched. "I-I didn't think about that. I just thought about saving her. Trust me! I had her best interests at heart." His hands gently steadied the gun while he straightened, sweat now pouring through his shirt. "I've never been so scared. Dear Jesus."

"Still, you saved the day," Bella stated gently, smiling. "I thank you."

She didn't catch the flash in Edward's eyes, the tightening of his jaw. She just watched as her employer straightened his clothes and prepared to walk back into the store. "Thanks to you, young lady," he praised. "You think you can finish your shift?"

At her nod, he smiled. "Alright then, see ya in a few. Feel free to take your time. Heaven knows I need it. I'm guessin' that I should phone the police about this. Damn wolves." With that, he left taking the gun with him.

As the crowd parted, Bella watched his slouched back disappear behind glass doors before she turned back to her husband. She blinked. He had already stalked away and climbed into his car. "Edward," she called.

He didn't listen just opened the door and slammed it shut.

She blinked again, bewildered. _What happened?_

Quickly, perhaps quicker than she should have, she walked to the car and knocked on the window.

Edward looked at her through the glass a moment before opening it. "What," he asked tersely.

Bella put her hands on her hips, her glare deepening. "What is with you? We were having a good time and now you're angry? Why are you angry?"

"Why are you such a magnet for dogs?"

Her eyebrows popped to her hairline. _Where did that come from?_ She took a step back.

It was a cheap shot. He knew it when he said it. It was just his jealously talking and when Edward watched his wife step back, her eyes slowly filling with venom, he immediately regretted it. But his pride swelled and choked him. Abruptly, he started the car. "I'm going to call Alice to pick you up. I need to drive and calm down… t-to think."

"Edward?" Bella began, but he cut her off.

"Bella," he said looking down at the steering wheel. "A lot has happened between us, some things that I just haven't been able to get over. I…"

Bella didn't answer. She just shook her head and hung it. "Are you leaving me?" She asked softly.

Immediately, his eyes snapped to hers. In seconds, he was outside the car holding her acutely aware of her hands pushing him away. Her body bent as if it was being crushed under a weight he couldn't see. Rapidly, he shook his head. "No," he said fiercely. "I just… I can't…"

Speech failed him even as he cleaved tightly around her. Silence extended and he strived to give her a reason, a hope.

"I just need time," he said taking a page from Jasper. "I don't want to lose you. I don't want to hurt you or see you hurt and I've witnessed each of these." He didn't need to say it. They both knew it. And as they parted - Bella to the store, Edward to his car - each wondered how long it would be until the memory would fade completely; when it would no longer haunt them. Each feared it never would.

* * *

Seras was cautious as she tiptoed across the lawn towards the front of the Cullen house. Her footsteps were soft and light. Her head constantly swiveled from the left to the right then the right again. Her eyes shifted as she took it in. The flat ceiling. The long windows. The empty garage. Readjusting the slight weight on her shoulder, she quickly snuck through the open door pondering its meaning. Either everyone was out, or... she paused and closed her eyes searching for an aura, a familiar one, an obvious one. And then, she found it. Predictably, it was in its office doubtlessly working on some newly budding design. A pointed ear twitched under messy flyaways pulled from dirty tangled hair. Seras tilted her head.

Esme's concentration on her work, she observed during her stay, was engrossing, but not so much that the woman was unaware of the goings-on of her home and family. She wondered if she could just enter and put away the meat without her knowing. It wasn't a big deal really. She could just say that she went hunting or something, but after everything from the day before… she paused. Immediately the image of Carlisle's concerned gaze flashed vividly before her eyes. She licked her lips. She wasn't quite sure how they would react to her bringing more food into the home, especially so much of it. Seras blinked and scrunched her nose. It wasn't that much, she figured. They wouldn't be that mad.

She shook her head and opened the door to the kitchen, then stopped and focused. The aura didn't move. Encouraged, Seras stepped in and closed the door. Then softly, she laid one skinned, bloodless deer carcass upon the kitchen floor. She carried the other over to the island. For a moment, she looked around the facility pulling out drawers and cabinets until she found what she was searching for. Seeing it, a small smile broke pleasantly across her face.

She reached over the stove towards the cabinet hanging over it. Then with eager fingers, she snatched two boxes of freezer bags and a large cleaver from the wooden block on the corner. Putting down the boxes, she looked down at the blade. She thumbed its edge as her lips twisted. It was a little dull, not as sharp as she wished. Still, she eyed the carcasses and deftly twirled the knife. It would do, she thought. She would sharpen it later perhaps as a thank you.

Decided, Seras turned around and got to work. It didn't take long to fabricate the meat. By the end of a fast 20 minutes, she had quickly harvested a variety of cuts from both animals and had them neatly sealed within clear plastic. Unfortunately, she used all of them. She sighed. Looking down at the large pile of plastic mounded precariously on the island, Seras made a mental note to also replace those before she hugged a third of them in her arms. She, then, walked over to the large freezer/refrigerator. She'd barely opened the thick door with sticky bloody fingers when she heard a loud gasp and the soft sound of feet rushing down carpeted steps.

Seras froze feeling her hidden ears droop slightly. She gritted her teeth and turned fully expecting the wide eyes staring at her and the mess of the kitchen. She smiled and tried to ignore the sound of blood dripping from the island to the floor, or a couple of the bags falling after it. She failed to say the least.

"Seras Victoria," Esme sighed eyeing the startled dragon. "What have you done to my kitchen?"

Seras's smile widened nervously revealing two rows of pearly white fangs. "Um, I promise to clean it up, Mrs. Cullen. I'm nearly done." She said the words quickly shoving the meat in the freezer and promptly pushing it closed. When it immediately popped back open from the sheer volume of meat now overflowing the small space, her arm shot out. She pushed it shut never once taking her eyes off of the coven matriarch. Her smile widened further.

Esme crossed her arms. "Did you hunt all of this?" Slowly, her eyebrows crinkled. "Why did you bring home so much? I'm not sure your father would be pleased seeing this."

Almost instantly, Seras stilled her eyebrows popping into her bangs. _My father?!_


	23. Chapter Twenty Three: Into Explanations

Trash littered on the floor. A word misspoken. A car abandoned. The start begins here and the resulting observations can lead to contemptible conclusions, especially for a boy, a dragon, and a wolf.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Into Explanations: The Worse Day Ever, Part Four**

* * *

****He'd driven a half an hour when it hit him. He was speeding down the winding country roads of western Washington when Edward finally realized that the advancing speed wasn't helping his psyche. His mind was blank. At least, he tried to keep it blank instead of racing like it was, boiling and aching like his heart.

The image of his wife kept repeating, kept flashing, no matter how much he floored the accelerator. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel careful to not snap it in his frustration. _Are you leaving me?_ Bella's voice haunted him. It made his fingers twitch. "Are you leaving me?" He snorted. "How could she think that?" She was his mate. His wife. He had fought wolves and killed vampires for her. Just the thought of losing her nearly killed him. Why would that change? Didn't she know?

Gradually, he slowed the car down letting it stop in the middle of the empty road. Its narrowed edge hugged a mountain, painted a cliff its crest. Absently, he let his eyes, his heightened sight, take in its wet cloudy beauty; the majesty that were the pre-spring Cascade Mountains. The whites and the greens. The beginning of life reclaiming the earth. For anyone such a sight would bring a sense of hope or awe, but for him, it brought nothing but despair. It had been nearly half a year since the event, since her turning. Nearly a year since the wedding and yet he still couldn't find himself able to forget what happened. He couldn't forgive himself, either.

In hindsight, Edward knew what sparked his anger 45 minutes before. It wasn't her, or the god forsaken wolf. It wasn't even the people crowded around that prevented him from acting. It was the manager. He lowered his head remembering the man's wide bright hazel eyes; his fingers gripping the gun shaking like a rabbit in his jaws. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. Why him? Why was he able to save her? That uncouth, adulterous, disgusting pedophile saved his wife while he just stood there. It ticked him off to no end. That was his job. He was her husband, so why was he failing?

Edward took a breath and raised his head knowing that he was being irrational, acting on jealously alone. Still, as he concluded the night when they'd found the dragon, he didn't know how to fix it. He didn't know how to get over it. Perhaps, he thought, he could talk to Carlisle. He licked his lips. It was an idea. Putting the car in drive, he eased back down the road uncharacteristically driving the speed limit. He was maybe 10 minutes from the house, if not less. He would get there and practice. He would wait and then consort his father once he returned home.

* * *

"My father?!" Seras whispered blinking rapidly. The word felt heavy in her mouth, damming even. Momentarily, she removed her hand from the refrigerator. However, when the door immediately popped back open, she gasped and quickly slammed it shut. It took a couple tries, but by the third push, it stuck… somewhat. Relieved, she sighed and stepped away.

In spite of how amusing the sight was, it didn't lessen the stern expression etching itself across Esme's face, nor did it lower her arms. "You know," she suggested. "If you organize them instead of just shoving them in, you probably would have a better time getting everything to fit." Her scolding was light, even as her arms unfolded. She moved to grab a dozen more freezer bags from the island. She was about to put them in the freezer, however as soon as she realized that the blood on the table had gotten all over the plastic, she sighed and lifted an eyebrow at Seras. She detoured. Instead of the freezer, Esme wandered over to the sink so she could rinse them off. Turning on the faucet, she dropped the bags and wet a rag. She dosed it with a little soap and bleach, then tossed it towards the dragon fidgeting silently behind her.

Taking the hint, Seras deftly caught the rag and turned before starting to wipe down the table. Simultaneously, she brought the rest of the bags over to the sink for Esme to wash. It was silent while the two worked. Eventually, Esme moved to speak, her hands pilfering a dry towel from the counter. "We have plenty of food."

Seras paused and looked back at her. She watched as the matriarch began to re-gather the bags.

Esme sighed and walked to the freezer. She opened it and immediately a half a dozen bags plopped to the floor. She twitched her nose. "We have plenty of food. You don't have to do this." Casually, she reorganized the contents inside the freezer.

Seras watched her pick up the bags, then looked away. She changed the subject. "You were talking about Carlisle, correct?"

Eventually, Esme hummed noncommittally.

Seras crinkled her eyebrows moving to rinse the rag in the sink. "Why would you call him that?"

The smile on Esme's face was soft and patient. Finished with putting the bags away, she turned towards the dragon closing the thick heavy door. "I'm sorry. It was a slip of the tongue. You haven't been here all that long, but it already seems like you are a part of this family. It's easy to forget that I only met you over a week ago."

Seras watched her a moment, before turning off the water and ringing out the rag. "Didn't you say that you hated reptiles?" Her tone was weary as she turned to wash the table once more.

Esme's expression was thoughtful as she watched the girl clean. She crossed her arms then casually walked up to her, her smile broadening. "I think, I could make an exception just this once," she teased. "Here, give me the rag so I can rinse it out again. If you hit it one more time, then I think you'll be okay."

Resigned, Seras agreed handing off the rag to the curious woman. Her thoughts were blank. She didn't know what to think or how to react. So, as the woman rinsed the rag, Seras went to tie the trash. It was filled with bones and waste material. She sighed tightening the knot. If it wasn't for the lack of storage space, it could have made a good stock for stews. She licked her lips.

"What do you want for dinner, by the way?" Pulling the trash bag out of the bin, Seras looked back at her. Esme turned and wiped the table. She paused and smiled. However, when Seras moved to protest, she quickly shook her head. "Oh no, you don't. Now that I know you can eat, you have no excuse to thumb your nose at my cooking." She finished cleaning and tossed the rag.

If she was in dragon form, Seras's ears would have been flattened, flatter than a pancake under a bus. "Well, Mrs. Cullen that…"

"Esme please," she interrupted. "And no, you're not getting away with it. You can't control your eating, so you don't eat at all. Is that it?"

"Well, yes and… and no. That's-"

She put a hand on her cheek resting an elbow in the crook of her arm. "That's not a very good coping method."

"It isn't. You're correct," Seras stuttered, not quite sure how to get out of the interrogation. "But that's not it at all, you see. I just…" She stopped. She looked away.

Esme watched her with concerned eyes. She crinkled her eyebrows. "You just what? I'd like to help you, you know. I know you are very close to Carlisle, but he isn't the only one concerned for you."

Briefly, Seras eyed Esme. "We-we're not close," she muttered, her body stilling, her breathing deepening.

Esme's eyebrows crinkled further. She, too, sniffed the air cautiously. Pricked, her ears listened. She could smell ash burning, the smell of rubber tires running over pavement, and the Axe deodorant of her son, Edward. She could hear his car pull up to the house. That was fine, nothing too unusual, but then he stopped suddenly. Too suddenly. She sniffed again and stilled.

She eyed Seras who had dropped the trash bag and stalked to a nearby window. She had barely reached it before she booked to the door flinging it open. Running out, she ordered for Esme to stay in the house.

Without thinking, Esme obeyed grabbing her phone and dialing the one number she knew by heart. Not even a second later, someone picked up. She could hear Carlisle's sure calm voice on the other end. She didn't let him finish saying hello. She just spoke. "We are being attacked. The wolves are here."


	24. Chapter Twenty Four: Into Revelations

"I wasn't ready for it, the wolf. I thought I was… but I was wrong. And I wasn't ready for her. But it was at that moment when I was falling. It was then that I knew that she - it was then that I understood everything."

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**Into Revelations: The Worse Day Ever, Part Five**

* * *

He had seen the eyes first, Edward figured. They glittered in the darkness of the woods reflecting light that was dim and untraceable. From where it came, he didn't know, but the light flashed. It glided from one corner to another, from one eye to the other, before a long snout appeared. It was followed by a narrow face, pointed perked ears, and paws the size of saucers, perhaps a little larger. He hadn't expected it, the sight, the animal, as it stalked cautiously out of the forest to the right of his home. He'd been driving, thinking. He was prepared to pull in and step out. He hadn't anticipated it, but that didn't keep him from reacting as if he had.

Edward instantly jerked the car to a stop pulling it roughly to the side of the road. He slammed the ignition into park then threw the door open. He bolted.

He didn't stop to think. He didn't pause to wonder. It was obvious. The beast traced Bella's scent to the house. It acted domesticated just so it could catch the slightest whiff from her hand. That was all it needed. Barging across the lawn, he pumped his legs watching the wolf notice him. It took off instantly. For Edward, it was enough. The scenario alone was all the reason he needed.

The menace sprinted back into the woods without a flurry or a sound and Edward was right on its heel. He pressed his speed 40-50-100 times a human's. Yet, in his confidence, he became bewildered. Became even more so when the wolf easily did the same. It raced ahead of him faster than any merely animal could. It twisted. It turned. It leapt deftly. And it was there, where normal met supernatural, that his mind wandered. It pushed. It strove like him through the trees pass rivers, glens, and empty country roads. He ran deep into the winding wilderness that was western Washington comparing its scent to one he vividly remembered.

Immediately, his mind filtered to chocolate brown fur and eyes that smoldered when open. It filtered to pupils that were nearly identical in color to olive brown skin and dark native hair, plain features hiding the sheer fantastical. He narrowed his eyes. Edward leapt easily across a gorge and back following the dark form in front of him. His fur was the wrong color, a deep ebony black. So were its eyes, which were blue. He wasn't large either, like Jacob and his pack were. Yet, he could smell the underlying stink, the stench that filtered between Jacob and his father claiming them as family. He skidded to the left then the right watching as the tail twirled and flailed as it did likewise. They were related. How? He didn't know. He couldn't think, not when he found himself skirting the same glens, the same rivers, two times, three times, five times counting. It was leading him in circles. It was playing with him.

Angered, Edward bared his meager fangs, short and rigid like a saw blade, before he leaned forward. He bent his knees and arms then pushed his speed. He jumped landing only a hair's breathe in front of the beast. The wolf, not expecting the maneuver, squeaked and halted. His tail brushed the ground in his change in momentum. Still, it easily about faced and ran back the other way faster than even Edward could move, more agile than he had ever witnessed.

He raced after it not wanting to lose it; pushing, feeling the wind whip his face and jacket. Edward ran until the trees broke and the sky parted revealing solemn afternoon clouds. They threatened rain, but he saw none of these things. He stopped suddenly. He paused staring at the huddled form of the meager wolf in front of him. It halted ominously on the other side of the clearing; its fur standing on end. It made him look bigger than he was, wider than he ought. It turned and Edward stepped back.

Slowly, the beast barred its fangs. They were longer than they should have been, its navy eyes redder than they were. They glowed eerily in the mid-afternoon mist. Yet, these things worried him less than the ball of electricity building rapidly in the center of its mouth. The wolf didn't give him time to scream. Instantly, Edward found it fired at him faster than he had time to move. He ducked. He rammed his eyes shut throwing meager hands over his face. Still, it was all in vain. He knew it.

The lightening came. A crash also came, then a thud. And then...

He blinked.

He blinked again.

Nothing happened.

Edward slowly licked his lips and lowered his hands. Cautiously, he looked about him, his hair falling into his eyes. He swept it back. Then his gaze, his topaz filled irises overwhelmed with shock and sheer disbelief, widened exponentially. He wasn't expecting to see a black clothed back. He hadn't anticipated tangled ebony hair falling messily from a braid. He took a breath. It looked to be minutes from unraveling itself. His lungs breathed in a shaking unnecessary gulp of air as he watched the girl - no dragon - step back into him. Her body pushed him into a tree. She didn't look back. She didn't turn. She just stared ahead, her shoulders heaving rapidly.

Edward wiped his mouth and looked around her. The wolf was on its side breathing heavily as if struck. _How did it get hit, _he thought_. _He looked at the girl. _How did she reflect the blast so quickly?_ He tried to speak, to throw away his question, yet he didn't. He couldn't. He couldn't do anything.

* * *

Seras bit her lip while her breathing quickly regulated. She exhaled and stepped away watching as the wolf's tail flickered. His muscles bunched as it strove to its feet. A subsonic growl rumbled through the forest. Yet, it wasn't these things that signaled the change. These were preludes, the beginning notes of a haunting melody. The demonic aura, the sea of life ascending from the shadow's midst, ignited it like the peeling of a bell. It twisted. It warped. And for Seras, it was enough of a warning. In fact, it was more than that.

It made her blood boil, his aura. Like the sun in the east, the hair on the back of her neck rose high towards the sky, her heart and smile rising with it. Yet, in spite her want, her sheer desire to stay and fight, Seras ignored those instincts. The voice, the one that provoked her beast to violence, she promptly pushed way. It would stay locked abandoned within the dark recesses of her mind while she purposely chose to reach back.

She retreated feeling the cold presence of the boy burn into her shoulders. She grabbed his wrist, his coldness biting her skin, her heat jerking him from his shock. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough. Instantly, she pulled. They ran fleeing from the scene as the wolf swelled with power. It began to glow and grow in the blinding light that suddenly encompassed the woods. She didn't want to stay to watch it transformation. She had seen it before. She needed time.

The idiot, the jerk vampire, stumbled awkwardly behind her but only for a second. He quickly snatched possession of his wrist then began pumping his legs. He built his speed to match hers while she silently watched him from under her bangs. She glided with him through the trees, then narrowed her eyes. "Can you swim?"

Edward looked at her, his pupils alert with fear. It was born from unexpected danger, the sudden peril he couldn't comprehend. He stuttered. "W-what?"

"Can you swim," Seras pressed. Time, they needed time and a plan.

"What WAS that?! How did you-"

"Don't mind that! Answer the question! You've ticked him off and he won't be satisfied until he has retaliated likewise. You're a vampire, correct? You can't go into running water?"

"No, that's just a legend. I can swim easily – Wait… You know him?"

"Ah," Seras admitted awkwardly. "Well, you could say that."

Suddenly, she split to the left. Edward paused and double backed not having anticipated the move. Still, he wasn't fast enough; not fast enough to avoid the sight of the now 30 foot wolf barreling after them. He cried out definitely not expecting the sudden blast of blue energy aimed at his head. It missed. He flinched. A tree died in his stead.

"We need a plan!" Edward quickly shouted.

Seras nodded running faster. Her arms pumped rapidly blurring like shadows through the trees. "Yeah, I have one! You see that ledge?" She pointed in front of her.

Edward looked, saw and nodded.

"You will jump in and swim as fast as you can away. Stay in the water so he can't smell you."

"That's stupid. He can still see me," Edward complained. The ledge was getting closer.

"Not when I distract him. Go! Keep the others away until I have calmed him down."

"Distract – how are you?" Edward looked over at her and blinked. She leapt into the trees headed left once more. Apparently, he didn't have a vote. Not knowing what else to do, not having any other choice, he followed her advice.

The wolf was on his neck. He could feel his steps shake the earth, feel its breath warm the back of his thighs. So when the ledge came, he immediately, prematurely leapt. But then, a sudden crash shook the earth and he tripped. He fell just barely looking back long enough to see a blade of crimson light slam into the wolf cutting it off from mauling him mid-air. It was the last thing he saw before the river broke and the sky was drowned by freezing waters.

* * *

Minutes later, Edward broke the surface. If he was human, he swore that he would've drowned. The water was choppy. The current was fast and the river was filled with boulders that were too slippery to grasp, but Edward wasn't human. It took him nothing to fight the waves and find stability in the chaos. By his guess, he had fallen into the Hoh River. He knew where it was going, where the current was trying to take him. West towards La Push, west towards the ocean, he needed to swim east back towards the house.

Decided, he quickly began to pace upstream until the distant sounds of growls and crashes faded behind him. Then he climbed out and ran the rest of the way home the thought of La push not far from his mind.


	25. Chapter Twenty Five: Into the Rupture

Tensions, Decisions, Revelations, Divisions. It all starts here.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Twenty Five**

**Into the Rupture, a Crossroad: The Worse Day Ever, Part Six**

* * *

Carlisle had just pulled up to the house when Edward broke through the tree line. The family arrived only moments before, and all but Alice and Bella raced out of the house seeing him. He stumbled out the foliage - Edward - whiter than normal, his body shaking in fright and determination. There was cause for alarm. There had to be. Without a thought, Carlisle bolted from the car and quickly slammed the door shut. He was unaware that the Mercedes was just as crooked as Edward's, just as quickly shunned. Instead, his worried gaze immediately focused on the small ashen crowd. He took a counted heads even while his coven greeted his son, each talking in hushed whispers.

"You're soaked!" Esme exclaimed. Immediately, she embraced him before pulling away. Mother soft hands brushed the water from his eyes.

_One, _he thought_._

"What did it do? Push you into the river?!" _Two. _Emmett sneered, but Edward just shook his head.

Jasper stepped forward. "How many were there? Was it Jacob?" _Three._

He stepped away from Esme. _Four-no... _"No. Just one," Edward said. "One too much and one enough to know just where we stand." At the confusion on everyone's faces, he straightened his spine. "We need to leave, and we need to leave now. The wolf that attacked us was no mere shape shifter, and it wasn't like the others we have fought."

"What do you mean?"

Edward looked at Rosalie – _yes, that's four. She's.. she's four -_ with sure dark eyes. "It appears normal in size, but it grows large, nearly twice the size of the others. It's faster too, and it has powers." Seeing their dazed looks, he pushed further. "It can produce and control lightning from its jaws. It shoots it like a laser."

"It sounds like something you made up," she retorted.

"No, it sounds similar to what Seras is."

"Carlisle has a point, Edward. How can you be sure it's of the pack?" Esme stood bewildered, anxious even. She crossed her arms, and just as suddenly, Carlisle desired to comfort her. But he didn't, instead he counted.

Edward narrowed his eyes and shifted his weight. "Because it smells like Jacob Black," he said. "There is no doubt about it. It's related to them."

"Are you sure you aren't jumping to conclusions? Perhaps, there's another explanation."

"There can't be. It smells like them, Carlisle, and he's fast. We can't defeat something like that. Not without suffering serious losses on our end. We should leave. Forks be dammed. They've got to know about Bella. That's the only explanation. This is what they were waiting for, the arrival of another who would be able to fight with them and win."

As dread filled the silence, Edward took the time to register who was around. He licked his lips. "Where's Bella?"

_Good question._

Rosalie crossed her arms and thumbed the road behind her, "She's with Alice."

"I called Alice to pick her up, once I realized what was happening," Esme explained. She checked her phone.

_Five… Bella's Six. _

Edward nodded. He pushed passed everyone to get to the house. "Good, we should pack now. It only took us a day to uproot the last time. This time, it shouldn't take us as long. We're prepared."

_I'm seven. Edward's eight. Seras is nin- nine. Where's Seras? _He blinked, "Where's Seras?"

Edward paused.

Carlisle put his hands on his hips and turned to his wife. "You said she'd returned home and ran after the wolf once she sensed it. Was that true?" At her nod, he turned towards his son, his first turned, eldest of the group, yet physically the youngest. Watching him, Carlisle absently wondered which extreme the boy was subconsciously feeling. He combed tented fingers through his hair. "Did you see her, Edward?" When he noticed the boy clench his fists as he turned, Carlisle paused.

He stopped.

Decidedly, he lowered his hand, and straightened his back. His eyes hardened revealing, reminding him subtly, that he was more than just his father but also maker and coven leader. He tightened his jaw. "Don't ignore me - son," he warned softly.

The rest froze feeling the tension rise between the two, the subtle shifting of roles.

Edward gritted his teeth. "Yes, I saw her. She is currently fighting the wolf," he said evenly.

Immediately, Carlisle's eyes widened. Instantly, he moved to go after her, but Edward's next sentence halted him. His words stopped him cold.

"She's a spy, Carlisle."

Esme let out an unnecessary breath. "There has to be a mistake," she whispered, she put her phone away.

"Yeah," Emmett said. "M-maybe you ain't seein' it right."

"I don't know," Edward ground out. "You tell me. She said she was friends with it."

"But what did her thoughts say?"

"That could mean anything. There might not be a connection," Emmett pushed. He moved forward to stand with Carlisle. He had yet to look back.

Edward noticed it and pressed on. "You see the connection as easily as I."

Carlisle crossed his arms. "Aye. I see where your suspicions are, yes."

"Once again," Jasper interrupted. "What did her thoughts say?"

Edward narrowed his eyes staring at his father – no, Sire. He wasn't a father now. "I couldn't hear them. I can't hear them, because she purposely blocks me out. What other reason would someone wish to do that unless they had something to hide and that has to be it. The pack knows about Bella, because she told them. She disappears for the night and the next thing we have is wolves breathing down our necks."

"One wolf," Emmett exclaimed.

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "So, that's why you don't like her."

"Pig headed bastard! Did it ever occur to you that maybe she didn't want you in her head?" Emmett flailed his arms. "No one wishes to have that type of intrusion. Do you think your gift is some god like privilege that you can use whenever you want? If I was Seras, I would do the same thing."

"Emmett please," Rosalie pleaded.

But Emmett balked. "No, someone has to stand up for Cous', and it might as well be me. Bella's right. You've been on her case since the day we met her, and you know what? I don't think it has anything to do with your inability to hear her. True, you might be pissed a little. That's no big deal. It's the same way you were when you first discovered Bella's block, but your anger is more than that. Isn't it? Isn't it?!"

"Emmett!" Esme cried, but he blatantly ignored her.

"I know what your interest is. What really bugs you!"

"Do you, now?" Edward challenged stepping forward. "And what, pre-tell, is your hypothesis, brother?"

"Easy," he exclaimed freely." You're je-"

"Hiding something." The voice, steady, calm and true in spite the raised voices, easily to slash through the wave of arguing. Emmett licked his lips and turned to regard his father figure. Carlisle didn't turn. He just put his hands on his hips and shifted his weight.

Edward once again gritted his teeth and backed away.

"What do you mean, Carlisle?" Esme asked. Unsure, she paced to his side and began rubbing his back. For a moment, the patriarch lowered his head feeling the sure solidness of the movement before turning around. "Repeat your story, son. Please."

Edward scowled. He ignored the endearment. "What part did you miss? Getting deaf in your old age?"

Carlisle tightened his jaw. "You will do what I ask and park the attitude. Repeat your story."

Edward looked at his siblings then took another step back. He folded his arms. "She said she was friends with it."

"And when did you have this conversation? Before she fought the wolf? Why is it that you are here and she is not? Esme said you ran after the wolf first."

Edward looked away. "I did go after it first. And just after it changed, I ran and she caught up with me. We talked and built a plan to separate. Then I jumped into the river to hide my scent while she hid and attacked it, purposely drawing it after her."

"So, she saved you," Carlisle concluded.

"Yeah, but it was a hoax!"

"But it doesn't sound like it," Jasper intervened. "Think about it. If she was relaying information to the wolves, like you say, why would she blatantly reveal her association with the very 'secret weapon' you are convinced was sent after us?"

"Be…," he paused. "Be-because she will convince us to bring it into the house to get on our good side before attacking or selling us out." Edward's eyes lit up as he stepped towards Carlisle. "That has to be it. I saw the wolf earlier."

"What do you mean?" Rosalie asked.

Edward looked at her then glared back at Carlisle. "It showed up at the hardware store and went friendly with Bella."

"In broad daylight?" Emmett retorted.

"Yes, and there are at least a half a dozen videos floating around the net about it too. It wasn't being friendly. It probably smelt the dragon on Bella and tracked her scent here."

"I see," Carlisle nodded. "And that's why you ran off as you did. You recognized it and she probably did too, which is why she ran after you. I see where your worries are and it's a good theory: the quest to the reservation being an excuse to get closer to them, etc. Finding us must have either been a stroke of luck..."

"Or careful planning."

Carlisle acknowledged the thought with a nod. He put his chin in his hands and pondered. He paused, then spoke, "But it still feels like you are jumping at shadows, son."

"Carlisle!"

Carlisle folded his arms and look at him steadily. "It has holes, Edward, and what's more you don't have proof."

"The thing smelt-"

"Which plays against you. Our enemies are dogs, Edward. They also know about our strong sense of smell. Why would they send someone whose scent would blatantly give them away? Holes, Edward. And while we are wasting time philosophizing on the loyalties of a guest under this house hold, she is currently alone fighting God knows what. She saved you and now she needs us. I don't know what has gotten into you, Edward. But I thought I saw something good in you, better than what I am seeing now. I am sorely disappointed." With that, Carlisle turned away and began walking toward the entrance to the woods.

But Edward, hurt by his words, bit back in anger. "You've changed, Carlisle! You've… you've changed! Everyone thinks so! Ever since that monster has shown up, you have been star struck by her to the point that you can't see anything around you. Have you thought about us at all? What about Esme? You spend more time with that thing then you do your own mate. Everyone sees it. You are blind and what will you do when your blindness, your stubborn inability to look beyond the failing victims at your feet, causes everything around you to fall apart! Our blood will be on your hands!"

Carlisle stopped. Pursing his lips, he put his hands on his hips and lowered his head. The tension was so thick, he wondered if it seemed suffocating to Jasper. Yet, he had yet to hear a complaint, had yet to hear anything. The house was silent, as was the world around them. He wanted to lift his eyes, but the doubt in his heart made his lids heavy, made his back bend under some unseen weight. He stilled then looked back. "Is this really how you all feel?" His gaze searched the group pausing to meet one pair of golden orbs at a time.

Emmett met his and snorted. "This is ridiculous." He stormed into the woods without further comment.

Rosalie watched him and folded her arms. She wanted to follow, but something tugged at her to stay. It was the way her mother was staring at her father, the way she stepped forward with a step that was sure and soft in spite the onslaught of uncertainty flooding the front lawn.

Carlisle met her eye and lowered his shoulders. He tilted his head. "Esme?" he asked uncertainly.

Reaching him, Esme shushed him with a gentle finger to his lips. A soft smile slowly broke through the worry crinkling her brow. "I trust you," she whispered. Certain. Confident. Loving.

For a moment, Carlisle just took her in: her hair, her eyes, her smile. Then, in time, he leaned forward and kissed her.

Esme met it and pulled away, absently licking her lips. "Bring her home safe, please." She gently tapped his chest.

Reassured, Carlisle nodded and backed away moving to follow Emmett into the woods. He ignored Edward, who called after him.

"Carlisle! Carlisle, god damn it!" Seeing Jasper begin to walk after them, Edward turned to him. "Come on, Jazz. You've got to be on my side. You didn't like her at first too, right? Tell me you don't think I'm wrong. "

Jasper paused and looked back at him. He locked a piece of bronze hair behind his ear. "I don't think you're wrong," he said. At Edward's sigh of relief, he pressed further. "But I don't think you're right either. I have my own thoughts about the demon living in our family home, but I would rather keep them to myself of the time being. I know you can't control it, but I would appreciate a little privacy, if you don't mind."

Then, Jasper took a breath. "I will tell you this, though."

Edward looked away dejected. "And what is that?"

"Carlisle's right about one thing. She did save you and Bella. We owe her, you more than anyone given that she saved both you and your other half." Jasper looked away from him and saluted Esme and Rosalie. "The way I see it, you should repay a debt regardless of who it's to. It's the right thing to do." He lowered it. "Don't worry, Esme. I'll be sure they bring her back in one piece."

At her nod, he turned and walked away into the woods not caring to look back. It wasn't long until he could hear the distinct rhythm of footsteps trailing after him, shuffling grudgingly through the trees. Shaking his head, Jasper picked up his pace and raced towards the west, towards the distant sounds of thunder that rolled across the landscape. It sounded like the drums of war.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six: Into Understanding

Another layer will fall, the beginning of many, that will chip away at Seras' mask. However before that, Alice learns, as does Rosalie, about the power of observation and understanding. It isn't always convenient, but sometimes it produces hope, where at times it seems there is none to be found. Sometimes, it produces companionship, where at times it is unwanted. But sometimes...

Sometimes…

…it's all you can do. Observe and understand.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Twenty Six**

**Into Understanding: The Worse Day Ever, Part Seven**

* * *

Crunch. Breathe. Step. Punch.

A booted foot quickly leaps over a mound of roots and mud. Landing, the melting snow oozes between the ridges of its thick rough sole sticking to its surface like a stubborn memory. The boot lifts into the air leaving one solitary foot print for another to squish and mold.

Slide. Turn. Block. Swing. Jab.

Two cold bent shadows stand alone in the midst of an empty front yard. On the horizon, one parts from the other reaching out a hand, chiseled and frozen in time. Young, pearly white fingers grasp a cold gold knob before a question is asked. The knob twists. A door cracks open.

Kick. Jump. Choke. Push. Throw.

A car door slams shut. Metal jingles as shaking fingers quickly, almost inhumanly fast, inserts a key and turns it. The abrupt movement causes a bouncing grey duck to clatter against a flashlight and a library card. Silently, a glassy black eye reflects within it a turned down mouth, a piercing gold stare. It swivels and finds another. It doesn't blink. Just stares.

Jab. Punch. Throw. Crunch. Crash.

A fur smothered body barrels through a tree. Its chest heaves. Its tail's dirty. Its paws large and sticky with mud caked between black cloaked toes, black painted claws, and black powdered fur. Yet, its lips part and spread; its teeth bloom revealing long white rows gritted tightly together like a zipper or a comb, like the jagged stripes of a gilded zebra. It laughs. His breath rises and he rises with it onto large broad feet fully aware of the golden eyes watching his fur spike, his eyes glow and his fangs bare. The wind picks up and his laugh grows louder. Seras clenches a bloody fist and shivers in its wake. She had awakened the beast.

* * *

Bella slid into her seat and slammed the passenger side door. She watched steadily her friend and sister crawl in and close her own. Alice feeling the curious stare, the concerned stare, boring into her head like a drill a tooth, awkwardly inserted a key into the ignition of her yellow Porsche Turbo. She twisted it. The engine roared to life, jerking and growling like a stallion at a race track. Normally, it would have brought a smile to her face, but in the light of the circumstances, the smile was easily forgotten, tossed away like a lost toy. It made Bella's frown sink further, pulled more insistently at the corners of her lips.

"What happened?" Bella asked.

Alice shifted the car in gear and backed swiftly out of her spot in front of the hardware store. She looked back trying to see cars that didn't exist in a town that was never busy. As she turned onto the street and drove through its quiet neighborhoods, she was amazed - and not for the first time - by how blind the people were. Just by looking at the sleepy buildings, at the even sleepier people, you would never know that a war was breaking out only 10 miles beyond their borders. She sighed and looked to Bella, who was watching her carefully. "Did you have another fight?" She thought back to the phone call she'd received an hour earlier, not the one from moments before. "Edward called," she said attempting to smile. It cracked from disuse.

Bella's face tightened as she looked away. Her eyes - alert and clearer than ever before - glared out from her tinted window at the wooden town sailing carelessly by. "Is it so obvious?" she asked softly.

"Oh, Bella," Alice cooed. "It's going to get better. I know it will. Just hang in there."

"That's what you keep saying, and I know you've seen the end. You told me when we got home and everything, but it's not getting better."

"But the last couple of days, you've been doing so well…"

"What happened, Alice?" Bella turned and looked at her. She purposely changed the topic. She was tired of analyzing the issue. "Why did you pull me out of work so early? You said, there was an emergency. Did Edward… did he do something?"

Alice turned off the main street. She began to pick up speed as she merged onto the highway. She headed towards the outskirts of town, drove a little faster than she ought, even for her. "No, but the wolves attacked," she said softly. "I got a call from Esme saying that Edward spotted one and took after it. Said that Seras went, too."

"She came back," Bella exclaimed. Then, she paused. "A wolf?" She leaned forward, "Was it Jacob? Did you see anything?" She spoke the word see like everyone did once they learned of her gift. It always had that double meaning, was always spoken like a pun whose original meaning no longer applied.

Alice gritted her teeth, "You know, I can't see the wolves, Bella." She hedged. She tried to buy time.

Yet, Bella furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah, but you normally can tell when our futures black out…" Suddenly, Bella's voice trailed off. A memory suddenly jogged. "Black out. Is that? Is that why you've been…"

"You're being ridiculous, Bella. It's nothing really." Alice spoke quickly, perhaps a little quicker than she should have.

Bella caught it. "How's it ridiculous? You've lost your vision!"

* * *

"What did you say?" Esme looked over her shoulder. Her golden brown eyes, rich and vibrant, settled on the thoughtful face of her adopted daughter. They were sure and firm, filled with a steadiness that didn't weaver, in spite the surrounding chaos.

Rosalie watched her and wondered at her stability, her constant calmness. In spite everything, Esme's past, the dark world that Carlisle had brought her into, Rosalie wondered how she'd never grown jaded, distrustful like she, herself, had. Her eyebrows furrowed as she followed her into the house. She watched her float gracefully to the refrigerator and pull out some meat. She asked again, "Aren't you worried?"

"Worried?" Esme walked to the island. With a knife, she cut open a package of venison before setting the blade on the counter. "Over your sister? No, she'll be okay. Carlisle will ensure her safe return. He's never broken a promise yet."

Rosalie crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "That's exactly what I mean." She narrowed her eyes. "You are the most accepting out of all of us… Besides, Bella of course."

Esme blinked, "Accepting of what?"

"Everything." Rosalie raised an exasperated hand. "You were the first to accept Bella. When Alice and Jasper came, you welcomed them with just a glance and now Seras. You don't even like reptiles and yet you are calling her my sister. Aren't you worried? Between you and Carlisle, I don't understand you."

"You sound like Edward," Esme observed slicing the meat.

Rosalie lifted an eyebrow. "Can you really blame me?"

Esme paused in thought before her eyebrows furrowed. "I suppose not. The more people get added to this family, the more those already in it will become uneasy. It's part of the growing pains of having such a large family, I suppose." She returned to her task slicing easily through the tender red meat. It was choice. She wondered where Seras had found such a beast. She smiled. "It will be a while before things settle, but it will happen eventually. I may not have Alice's gift, but I can feel it. Our family's going to get bigger." Quickly, her smile widened in excitement as she smirked at her daughter. "I have a feeling we're going to need a bigger house."

Seeing the creativity grow like weeds in her mother's eyes, Rosalie rolled her own. "You're incorrigible."

"No," Esme corrected. She shook her head and moved to retrieve a pot from a lower cabinet. "I'm just more in tune with your father and his abilities."

"Abilities?" Rosalie asked evenly.

"Hmmm." Esme gathered the meat. She piled it into the pan and brought it to the oven. Simultaneously, she turned up the flame watching the blue little fire curl around the copper coating on the bottom.

"You mean his compassion?" Rosalie let the phrase fall from her lips parroting what she'd occasionally heard him speculate over the last century.

Esme nodded. "That, and his uncanny ability to find people in need and draw them to himself. He had a calling for every person he has turned, with the only exception being Alice and by extension Jasper who had simply chosen him first. He's a born leader and father. That's his gifting, and like Edward and Alice, he is unable to resist the instinct to follow its leading." She looked at Rosalie while reaching to grab a plastic spatula. "It's why I am as calm as I am. I was prepared for this the night he brought her home. Seras is the next to join us. I could see it in his eyes. She is the next life he will save, probably the greatest."

Rosalie watched her a moment. Esme stirred the meat in the pan while adding various spices that she kept near for convenience. Her next words were soft and careful. She was unsure of upsetting her mother, but her curiosity overrode her sense of propriety. "But aren't you jealous?"

She wasn't expecting her mother's laughter. "Now, you definitely sound like Edward. Don't you know there is difference between the love of a mate and the love of a daughter? I'm confident that Carlisle has plenty of room in his heart for both types of love. If he didn't, our coven wouldn't be as big as it is already."

Rosalie didn't answer satisfied for the moment. Turning to look out the window, she was half-surprised to hear her mother return her question. It crinkled her nose. No one else had thought to ask. "What about you?" Esme questioned. "What do you think about all of this? Between you and Alice…" she trailed off leaving a gap for Rosalie to fill.

She continued to stare out into the woods, her eyes looking for the yellow sports car that would hail the arrival of her sister. She crossed her arms while her eyebrows lowered settling heavily over her thoughtful gaze. "She is uncouth and brash." The confrontation in the bathroom replayed in her mind. "She has secrets, and a past, but that's no different than any of us." She saw her own rapists, her own murders while quelling her thirst. "She's dangerous, but I don't think she's evil as Edward depicts her as." She looked back at Esme, her eyes serious and confident. "I think we can trust her."

Esme smiled and went back to cooking. "I think so, too."

* * *

She had awoken the beast, but the beast didn't grow like it had before. This time, it shrank - snapped. His light flashed. His body glowed and sparked, like the lightning he commanded, before it vanished into a ball of untamable energy. It squeezed and bounced racing from tree to ground to sky before settling with a blinding blast onto the forest floor. The ground shook littered with broken trees, rocks, and piled earth upturned from moments before this moment, from a time before this time.

Calmly, Seras watched it, the wolf, the beast, the youkai as its aura compressed revealing a broad thickly muscled back, a sharp crisp shirt dyed the royal blue of a typical police uniform, black army slacks, boots rough and well cared for, an unused sword and a brown trench coat. Two fists, thick and large, clenched and unclenched building between long stout fingers a power she could easily feel, could sharply see though they were more than 100 feet apart.

Her breath raced. Its white cloud sailed like a puff of steam rising from a hot engine's stack as she watched the creäture, the man, the youkai rise slowly to his feet from his crouched position. His back was turned to face her; an insult in its own right. She narrowed her eyes and snorted.

"Getting impatient, my dear?" It must have been what he was waiting for, her snort, her scoff. His sneer lit his face. His laughter barked through the trees mincing with the smoke of his freezing breath.

Seras's glare intensified. She said nothing, even as she crouched in defense.

Unfazed, the wolf turned towards her his smile spreading as thick as peanut butter, as dark as a stage before a show. Its smeared ridges sat like a well fed actor before a crowd of his inferior peers - bold, cocky, and loud. "If you're so eager to get your ass whooped, then I suggest you pull out your sword while you're still able to stand."

Her ears twitched under her unbound hair. She crouched further even while her lips twisted into a small rippled frown. "My sword?" she said. "And why would I summon them?" She disappeared and reappeared snapping instantly behind him. She aimed a high swift kick to his face before blocking his punch and slamming her fist into his jaw.

The wolf's head snapped to the left. It paused - a beat - then turned slowly, ever so slowly, towards her. His grin spread wider. Deftly, he blocked her next kick before he grabbed her shoulders and kneed her in the stomach. In heavy breaths, she crumpled to her knees her hands clenching her abdomen. She gritted her teeth and glared up at him.

He sauntered up to her, closer than he was already, and bent forward at the waist until his nose was only inches from her own. His smile diminished into a smirk as he crouched, "You should summon them, because we both know that your talents in hand-to-hand combat are severely lacking." He straightened resting his arms on his knees. His nose crinkled with his sneer, "You offend me by keeping your talents from me. What's the point in fighting you, if there's no challenge?"

Seras lowered her head her bangs hiding her eyes, a growl ripping from her throat. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. Perhaps, I should just try again." Her head jerked forward ramming her forehead under his jaw. Again, his head snapped and again Seras vanished attacking him from the left.

This time, Takashi was prepared. He blocked the incoming kick grabbing her leg from underneath and then physically throwing her to the ground.

Deftly, Seras turned landing on her feet before pushing off to attack again. But then a voice shouted. It was enough of a distraction. Her eyes flicked, and her charge was met blindly by three consecutive punches strong enough to toss her through a tree and into the unforgiving surface of a nearby boulder.

Her body cracked, shuttered, then slid down the rough surface. Slowly she fell, vaguely hearing Carlisle call her name. Cupping her head, she shook it before turning to glare at the doctor racing through the trees. She turned, her red-rimmed eyes freezing him in place.

"Stay put!" She screamed into his mind. "Don't interfere! This is my fight!"

"Seras?" Carlisle cried out, but Seras cut him off with a growl. He halted.

"This is my fight!" she reiterated. "This… this is mine."


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven: Out of Realization

Jasper's shock cracked with a jerk. His eyes narrowed in contemplation. Edward didn't have to read his thoughts to know where they were going. Even if his theory was wrong, he was right about one thing.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

**Out of Realization: The Worse Day Ever, Part Eight**

* * *

It took nothing to retrace his steps through the woods, to find the path that would lead him towards the potential war. It waited, he knew. At the road's winding end, the assault lingered like a crouched lion. It could devour his family. It would devour everything. His gaze glinted harshly. Edward squinted into the dull afternoon sun, whose light was weak and feeble. It barely filtered through the thick heavy clouds, still it glared in his eyes. He did not feel its warmth.

Edward's countenance was cold and hard like the landscape around him, his face stony with his frustration. He tightened his jaw. Curling his lip, he glared at the ground as it rushed past. As he quickly pressed forward, it flew under his feet even while he flew above. His thoughts raced just as hastily. Why didn't anyone believe him? Why was he the only one who could see the inevitable?

"You better be careful."

The voice, which had been silent until now, jerked him from his thoughts. He gritted his teeth and glared. "Be careful of what?" he snarled.

Jasper looked back at him, neither pausing nor slowing down. He shook his head. "Be careful that your hatred doesn't over cloud your judgment."

"Hatred?"

"I can feel it; have felt it since you met her. You loathe the girl, yet I wonder if your conclusions are influenced by your dislike instead of the other way around." They reached the edge of the tree line and paused. Jasper eyed him cautiously. "Did you forget what side I fought on during the war? I know first-hand how that type of thinking can warp one's sense of discernment, which is why-"

"Your worry is for nothing." Edward growled as he stalked past him, "I know what I'm doing. I know I'm right."

"And what if you're wrong?" Jasper offered. He tucked back his hair and folded his arms. He watched steadily as his 'brother' turned away.

He paused only for a moment - Edward. Still, he didn't answer. In silence, he stepped from between the trees causing Jasper to sigh softly. He shook his head and followed him.

The sight that met Edward was unexpected. The scene was breathed in silence, frozen like the second before a dive. He licked his lips, shifted his weight. Spying his father, he sauntered to his side while carefully, cautiously, he noted his rigid stance. His hands were fisted. His gaze was locked. His posture was ready and anxious. Edward neared the hill's crest. Emmett was also there, just as tense, just as frozen. He stood behind Carlisle to the left. But from his place, standing only feet from his father - his rock, his mentor, his sire - Edward couldn't see what was happening at the bottom. He narrowed his eyes. Again, he wetted his lips. He studied his father before edging forward. He felt Jasper do the same. Reaching the border, he looked down… then inhaled.

The slope was soup; the foot, a muddy brown pit littered with broken trees and rocks. Standing in its midst was a man. He was large and bulky, almost twice the size of Emmett. He stood with his fists on his hips glaring solemnly at the girl. She lay crumpled at his feet, dirty and unkempt. A boulder sat broken behind her.

For a moment - a secretive, unbelievable moment - his heart lurched. It twisted. He could feel the scent of her blood overwhelm his senses, but it didn't make him ravenous as a human's would, something he'd noted earlier. Still, it did make him do something, feel something else.

He ignored the prod. If it was concern he was feeling, hell would freeze over before he admitted it. Edward raised his eyes and spied her face. It froze his concern to ice.

Blood poured from a head wound. It painted the left side of her face a bright ominous red while her eyes glowed eerily from beneath her bangs. They were cold and hard. They watched him, analyzed him, calculated the breadth of the wolf's fate. Curious, Edward tested the barrier of her mind. He grimaced finding it locked tighter than ever before. He exhaled. Stepping back, he looked to his father. Emmett was smiling cockily, but Carlisle - his gaze… his jaws… his hands… - his anger was glued to the wolf, his concern to the dragon.

"What happened?" Edward asked. He dared to speak. He dared to break the silence.

Seras' ear twitched under her mop of hair, Carlisle shifted his weight, and Emmett crossed his arms. The stranger's smile sharpened as he too folded his own. The hairy bulk of them nudged the small sword at his hip. His trench coat merely quivered. He didn't bother to look at the boy. "Isn't it obvious?" he said. "I am kicking the girl's ass." Though his tone seemed amused, Edward was taken aback by the ripple in the man's brow. A knot of slight concern and minute disappointment splintered across the wolf's face. It tilted his head, even as he focused on the girl. The wolf growled, "You will not distract us, so but out."

Carlisle tightened his fist. "She has asked us to not interfere." His tone was dull; his words short. He was upset by sitting on the sideline, yet he stayed. He waited patiently.

"She can fight?" Jasper asked. He was surprised, though he wasn't. He stepped forward and looked down at the field.

"But he's better," Emmett replied. "He's blocked her every time."

Hearing, feeling the excitement rise in his brother, Jasper eyed him warily before turning back to the wolf. His stance was relaxed, his mood calm though accented with a kind of worry or fear, a cautious patience that tainted its flavor. He met Edward's eyes and asked him in his mind. _Can you read his thoughts?_ He questioned. Jasper was curious. Though the pure frustration erupting from his brother's gaze was answer enough, its confirmation was worth voicing.

Edward shook his head. "He's blocked me like she has," he whispered softly.

"Of course, I did," the wolf answered. He heard him easily. "Live with this one long enough and you learn you need a trick or too. She's nosier than a cat in heat." The line, though said in jest, was met with confusion. Eyebrows crinkled, all but three.

"Cat in heat," Seras snorted. "You mean a dragon in flames."

She ignored the confusion. She chose to meld it. In a blink, she rose and barreled after him. Her fist raised high. Takashi met her easily and deftly blocked her punch. He landed five consecutive blows to her head, chest, and stomach before delivering a fast round kick. It left her bleeding on the ground back first. Shaking her head, she rolled to her knees. She wiped roughly at the blood dripping from her mouth. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Again, Takashi stood and watched her. His arms folded. They rested casually on his sword as he glared. "Your first mistake was charging outright, which I assume you did in reaction to my jest. Dumb. One should never rise to a provocation, but you know that. Before that was getting distracted by your companions up there. Equally dumb. Needless to say what the dangers are. These are beginner's mistakes. They are well beneath your level. You disappoint me."

Defeated, Seras lowered her head and nodded. She knew he was right.

He ignored the gesture and plowed on. His scolding felt like heavy blows on her back. He counted the points on his fingers. "Your third mistake was repeating the same strategy. I told you before. It makes you predictable and easy to read."

Yet here, she shook her head. This was an old argument.

Takashi rolled his eyes knowing the words, even as they tumbled forth. "No, by being predictable it makes the opponent lax and lazy. It makes them predictable in return. Thus, when they drop their guard, I can easily strike by changing tactics. Meanwhile, I can study the attack and develop it accordingly." She looked up at him. Her eyes flashed.

"But you see the problem with that strategy is that you are wasting valuable time and energy. You wear down the opponent at the cost of your blood. Look at you!" he exclaimed. He flung his arms. "You are on your knees bleeding at my feet. It's disgusting, especially when I know you are more capable than this." His eyes hardened. "Draw your sword, dragon."

Seras glared and shook her head. Her earrings clattered with the movement. It was a mistake.

Instantly, they caught his eye.

Instantly, he noted the empty hole in her right ear.

Instantly, his eyebrows lowered. His smile faded completely.

"Hey, would you two get a move on! I want to see some action!"

Seras' eyebrow twitched. "Shut up, Emmett!" she yelled frustrated.

Takashi just looked at her. He didn't have to ask. She could see the question in his eyes, his displeasure curling his lip. She licked her own.

"Hello!" Emmett waved his arms earning a glare from everyone. Jasper meandered over and jabbed him in the ribs. "Would you knock it off? He's teaching."

Emmett smirked, lowering his arms. "I know! Isn't he awesome …for a wolf that is, of course?" He coughed, then cleared his throat."

Jasper rolled his eyes and stepped away. Apparently, talking was useless.

Hearing the comment, Takashi couldn't help but twitch his tail. In spite everything else, he was flattered. "Where is it?" He asked softly.

Seras looked away. "Safe."

"You are not to take it off. You know better-"

"I know. I didn't. It fell."

Snorting, he crouched down. "That's impossible. It doesn't just-"

"This is not the time, Takashi." She breathed hastily, twitching her eyes towards the group. "And you know it."

The wolf's pout made her cringe.

He was not happy.

Unfolding his arms and stood up. "You're right. It is not the time. It's time for us to finish this." He tilted his head. "It shouldn't take us long. You've let yourself go this past year. You've grown weak."

"I have not!" Seras snapped defensively. Her ki rose with her temper. "I have not!"

"Then prove it, Bitch-" Before he could finish speaking, Seras, for the last and final time, vanished. She successfully landed a solid punch to the man's face. Like before, his head snapped. Instantly, he blocked the next punch, the next kick, the next jab before throwing her to the ground. Then, he caught it – barely.

The smell of fresh blood assaulted his nostrils. Knowing what was coming, he jumped – suddenly - nearly missing the onslaught of crimson knives aimed at his person. "Blades of blood," she cried. The attack missed.

Takashi growled in frustration. "Stop using the same attacks!" he yelled. Angered, he barreled after her. His fists and his feet connected faster than even Edward could follow.

Seras yelled and Carlisle made to run, to stop the onslaught, but then a hand grasped his elbow. Startled, he looked back. His eyes bored into Jasper's.

"Wait," he said. Jasper wasn't looking at him, but at the battle. "Wait," he repeated.

Impatiently, Carlisle looked back, barely keeping from rushing in.

Seras yelled, then dropped away. Flipping, she landed on her feet then pushed off racing toward the wolf's clenched fist. She seemed eager for the abuse.

Like before, it came. Like before, she met bone and flesh, but this time something changed.

She reached.

Edward saw it. Emmett, too.

Takashi felt it and knew he only had seconds, less than that to act.

Grabbing his sword, Seras glared and jumped away. In seconds, her arm lifted before crashing its naked blade into the ground. The soil shattered. The sky ignited while a flare of cyan lightning skidded violently across the field. It snapped pointedly at the wolf.

He vanished. His body was encompassed by the blast.

Alarmed, Carlisle cried out.

Yet, Seras crumpled. She dropped the sword. It clattered to the ground while she weakly clenched her shaking fist. In her pain, she didn't see the form appear behind her. The shadow tackled hers to the ground while instantly their bodies rolled, then fought, then stilled. With one on top of the other, it was over.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a deep growl rumbled across the meadow. "I win," Takashi snarled in her face.

From her place below him, Seras glared and shook her head. Her now hatless, moppy, tangled hair flared with the movement. "No, I win."

Takashi tilted his head. His amusement refilled his eyes. "Oh! Really? How would you conclude that?"

Seras' answering smile was all fangs. It would have made him proud in any other situation, but then, with her bloody fingers fisted in his shirt, it made a certain chill go up his spine. He swallowed. "Isn't it obvious? By using the same attack, you got lazy and predictable. You forgot I can vary them - like blades of blood. You know me so well. It's a base attack, yet you forgot the real value behind it, especially for someone with my talents."

Suddenly, Takashi's eyes widened as he remembered a certain fact, a certain ability. He whispered. "You can call them back." Immediately, he looked up seeing the large crimson blades falling towards him, aimed directly at their location. "Seras!" He tried to run, but the fist around the collar of his shirt prevented him. Was she trying to kill him? At her own expense?! Flabbergasted, he did what came natural.

Grabbing her quickly, Takashi picked up his friend and split feeling the assault strike at his back. It covered the meadow in snow, mud and smoke.

Four vampires stood in the silence, as was natural for their kind. Four pairs of eyes popped wide.

Carlisle took a step forward. His metaphorical heart throbbed in his chest. A name fell from his lips. Sailing in the mist, his gaze couldn't penetrate.

Unlike his father, Edward took a step back absently running into Jasper. He had yet to move. Alarmed, he looked back at him. Jasper's shock cracked with the jerk. He narrowed his eyes in contemplation. Edward didn't have to read his thoughts to know where they were going. Even if his theory was wrong, he was right about one thing. They would never be able to fight those two and win. Their powers were unimaginable, deadly in their greatness.

Swallowing, he turned to regard Emmett. His jaw was loose. His eyes were filled with awe and something just shy of hero worship. Frustrated, Edward nudged his way into his mind. One thought made him pause. _If only, they could be on our side. We already have the dragon… If we get the wolf too, we could be unstoppable._


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight: Into the Lecture

A wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf, even if he doesn't believe it. But just -

"My name is Takashi and who the hell are you people?"

Just… don't tell him that.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter 28:**

**Into the Comming Lecture: The Worse Day Ever, Part Nine**

* * *

The smoke gently settled taking its time. Its wafting cloud dispersed like steam from a coffee cup. It rose lazily, floated steadily towards the ceiling — no, the sky. Eventually, it cleared the meadow. It lifted above the trees and the land, opening a foggy view for the vampires to see. They waited eagerly to perceive what was underneath. Eight eyebrows crinkled.

Once clear, they found the hillside torn, ripped, and destroyed. Mud piled on mud; trees upon rocks upon upturned roots. Four large ridges extended from where the last attack barreled. They clawed into the small basin, like knife wounds, flesh. Only feet away, laid two still bodies. They were like broken bones in the midst of the destruction lying on top of each other. The first was large, the second barely visible. Both weren't left untouched.

Uncertain, Emmett called out. "They aren't moving."

It must have been the permission Carlisle was looking for. For instantly, he began running down the hill. Worry and centuries of ingrained habit automatically kept his pace slower, barely passing that of a human's. He wasn't vampire in this moment. He was doctor — No, he wasn't even doctor. He was —

"Don't!" Jasper cried out.

Alarmed, he stopped.

"They're alive."

Carlisle looked back at him, but then an earth shattering growl rose from his left. He gasped and turned. Carlisle watched, to his mixed relief, the wolf's head rise.

His once neatly slicked back hair fell messily around him. Takashi flicked his tail before picking up Seras by the collar. He shook her, then slammed her into the ground beneath them. Without thinking, he growled and lowered his mouth. He nipped her neck hard.

Instantly, she squealed and snapped her eyes open. They were crimson, a striking bloody red immersed in a pool of cream and milk.

"Hey!" she snapped. "Why did you do that?"

The wolf bared his fangs. "You tried to kill me!"

"Well, you threw me into a boulder!" Seras' nose crinkled. Her eyes sparked.

"At least, you didn't go through — ahk!" Suddenly, his argument stopped while his nose twitched and his eyes crossed. Slowly, he lowered his head to her neck taking a quick sniff. Then, he promptly sneezed all over her shirt.

"Aww," Seras whimpered. "Ahh, Really!"

Takashi sneezed again, his exposed tail flicking. He lifted his head and rubbed his nose. "Sorry about that. Why do you smell like apples?"

Seras rolled her eyes and moved to rise, but then Takashi slammed her back into the ground. "Na uh! You will submit first," he taunted with a smirk.

Seras pouted. Her bottom lip protruded threateningly. "Like hell! I didn't lose!"

Takashi's smirk sharpened, "Oh yes, you did. Am I dead?"

"Weren't you just complaining—"

"Am I dead," he pushed.

"No," Seras ground out.

"Maimed?"

"No."

"Mutilated or unconscious?"

"No! But that—"

"But what? What color are my eyes?"

Seras' pout deepened in annoyance. "Blue, Mutt!"

Takashi snorted and she snorted right back earning herself another growl. "And what color are yours?"

"Gold…" She trailed off seeing his smirk grow into a full-out smile. "You-You've got to be kidding me!

"Hey?!" She turned her head glaring at Emmett. He was standing off to the side staring stupidly.

Hearing her address him, he snapped to attention. "Yeah, Cous'!"

She resisted the desire to roll her eyes at the nickname. Apparently, it stuck.

Takashi lifted an eyebrow.

She ignored it.

"What color are my eyes?"

"Come on, Cous'. You know what they are. They're gold — wait. Oh! Wow, they're red, the same color as they were in your dragon form."

The eyebrow lifted higher.

Seras cursed.

"They've seen your dragon form?" His tone was light.

She squirmed.

"You will submit," he declared

"Like hell!"

Takashi lowered his head and aimed two rows of perfectly white fangs at her throat. "You will submit," he said again.

Seras eyed him and crossed her arms. The prospect of losing ignited her stubbornness.

Emmett, clearly seeing it, waved his arms. "Just accept it, Cous'. He's got you beat."

"Just do it so we can leave already!" Edward yelled impatiently. He was sick of this.

Seras glared in his general direction before angrily tilting her head to the side.

Takashi smirked and grunted his acceptance. But not before giving her neck another happy little nip.

Predictably, she squealed and he let her up. She jerked to her feet, then stormed across the field clearly upset.

Takashi laughed, "Ah, come on! It wasn't that bad."

"Well, you get to clean this shit up, including the mess in the forest. I ain't helping."

"Isn't," Carlisle corrected calmly. "And watch your language."

She ignored him.

Takashi rolled to his feet chuckling as his friend climbed up the steep incline. Her back was stiff. Her anger perked. As she reached the top, he followed suit eyeing approvingly the damaged forest around them. In spite the circumstances, the fight was entertaining for what it was. He smirked and turned to his friend.

He barely missed it.

The boy from earlier?

She punched him in the face.

* * *

He wasn't expecting it, neither of them really. None of them had yet witnessed this reaction. Though in hindsight, they knew they should have known better. She'd punched someone in a grocery store.

Seras crested the hill, her eyes flaring in anger. She headed straight for Edward. Her lip protruded like a tusk a bore. She stopped in front of him and Edward snorted placing sarcastic piano hands on his hips. He sneered, "Got an issue?"

Seras merely smiled, and tilted her head. "Won't in a moment."

Then…

She punched him.

* * *

Predictably, he landed on his ass.

Predictably, two people broke into full out laughter: Emmett and the wolf. Each husky tenor rang out into the forest effectively covering the indignant gasp that rasped from the doctor behind her.

He said her name — scratch that. He cursed it. The short syllables fell like rocks in a quarry. "Seras Victoria!"

Still, she ignored him.

Seras growled staring down at the lump of corpse at her feet. "I told you to keep them away, not bring the inquisition. I lost because of you!" Grunting, she turned on her heals and began to stomp away, all to the grating sound of Carlisle yelling her name.

Takashi's laughter preceded him up the hill. He crested casually. His coat billowed behind him. He placed a steady, heavy palm on the doctor's shoulder effectively earning himself a glare. He smiled. "Don't worry. She's only like that because she lost—"

"I didn't lose!"

His smile grew even wider. Wolfish, if you didn't mind the pun. "Now, let me tell you something about dragons—"

"Don't even start that—"

"Na uh! You see, my dear," Takashi yelled in her general direction. "I am alpha. You are beta. You can't tell me what to do, and I can do whatever bloody hell I please. So you can just stuff it. "

"Bloody hell I will! I told you, I didn't lose!"

Takashi let go of the doctor and crossed his arms. He watched the boy rise from the ground. He also spied the "ring" on his finger. He snorted. "Well, if you're so sure, then prove it—"

He blinked finding the dragon instantly in front of him. Her eyes bored into his own, "I kicked your ass!"

"After, I kicked yours. Quiet thoroughly, if I say so. Look at you! Bruises everywhere."

Seras growled.

"And your eyes are red, which of course, signals the end of the game."

"But that doesn't mean—"

"And!" He continued smiling cockily at her. "I marked you. Well… temporarily nonetheless."

Instantly, she stopped. Her eyes widened. His smirk widened, too. "You marked?" Her eyes darkened in realization before she snapped to the person behind him. "Emmett!"

"Yes, cous!" He jeered excitedly, clearly amused.

"What color is my neck?"

His eyebrows wrinkled as he stared at the bump slowly rising on her left clavicle. "Its purple. Looks almost like a hick — Cous!" He paused. His eyes popped watching her hands fist and her head bow.

Jasper coughed.

She was trembling. She was so angry.

"Now, gentlemen, as I was saying. Dragons are known for a couple of things. The most of which is their susceptibility for violence, theft, and the unnatural instinct to horde things." He lifted a finger mocking a certain someone in front of him. "They're also known for their extremely short tempers.

"Now, I know what you're asking," he continued. "How can you tell if a dragon is angry?"

"Isn't it obvious," Jasper interrupted. He pointed at the quivering girl in front of him. "She's practically shaking."

"Exactly," Takashi cheered. "It shakes, like you see here."

"Takashi," Seras whimpered.

Yet, the wolf only shook his head. "Not now, specimen. Alpha is teaching.

"It shakes and then as the anger grows, the fire in her stomach ignites causing smoke to literally expand from her ears and mouth, but this is rare. As you can see here, there is no smoke."

"There wouldn't be," Carlisle informed crossing his arms disapprovingly. "Her fire has only yet to return."

Seras swallowed as Takashi raised an eyebrow once again. His smile didn't waiver, just shifted a tad darkly. He continued, "The smoke is just a prelude, especially for this little dragon whose grasp on her human form isn't as secure as others of her race."

Color filled her cheeks as Seras turned to walk away. "I'm not standing for this humiliation."

Instantly, she found Takashi's arms around her shoulders hindering her escape. She felt his fingers outline the ridges of her wings through her jacket. "Why, my dear?" he said sweetly. "They already know so much about you. Why not tell them more—"

"Takashi—"

"Like, how your horns peek out when you're angry, or your tail when you're really, really—"

_I get it. You're mad. Stop punishing me already._ She spoke into his mind. It was open. It was what he wanted.

Takashi laughed even as he lowered his head to her ear."Mad isn't the word for it, imp."

Shoving off his arm, she turned and stalked away. Her shoulders hunched, her head shook slowly. From his place in the midst of the group, he watched her go. He crossed his arms.

"So, what do they do when dragons are depressed?"

He glared and looked at Emmett, the one who spoke. "Eat," was all he said.

Turning to the doctor, Takashi raised his hand.

Carlisle eyed it a moment, his nostrils flaring. "You don't smell like them," he thought aloud, then caught himself. He swallowed and gripped the other's hand.

"Like them?" Takashi questioned pumping it firmly.

"You know who," Edward sneered.

Takashi met his eyes carefully, while Edward crossed his arms and looked away. He released the doctor's hand and pushed back his hair. He was filthy and it felt good. "To be honest, I don't know what the hell you are talking about. And frankly, I don't really care, but she does." He nodded in Seras' general direction then shifted to bow. "If she does, I will also… for a time."

Carlisle met his eyes and smiled. "It's been a while since I've met a wolf who wasn't trying to bite my head off. My name is Carlisle Cullen. That's Jasper" –nodding in his direction— "Emmett and Edward. They are my—"

"Fledglings," Takashi finished, crossing his arms, "I can smell you on them, vampire."

"Well, they are more than that. They are my sons."

"Hey! How do you know what we are?" Emmett asked excitedly. "It's your nose, yes?"

Takashi's smirk was knowing. The boy was in love. He puffed his chest, "You all smell like corpse, and there are only two things that do that and walk: the vamp kind and the dumb kind."

"Dumb kind?" Jasper questioned softly.

"Zombies, idiot," Emmett chuckled. "Even I figured that out." He rolled his eyes.

Carlisle stepped forward. "I'm guessing she's headed to the house. Would you like to stay?"

"Carlisle," Edward whined.

He ignored him. "I don't know if we should give her time to cool down, though. She seemed pretty upset."

"Don't worry," Takashi sighed. "She's more upset with me than you. Let me go talk to her. Give us 15, then come and meet us."

He began walking towards the entrance to the woods. His seal locked his tail and sword behind a wall of invisibility. "My name is Takashi, by the way. Takashi Tsume." He mumbled over his shoulder, "Nice to meet you." He waved and left.


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine: Conversations

When catching up leads to an argument. When an argument leads to the revealing of truth, what will Seras do when she is confronted for her decisions on staying with the Cullens? Another crack. Another mask will fall.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter 29**

**Into the Conversation: The Worse Day Ever, Part Ten**

* * *

Seras slammed the door rattling simultaneously the threshold, floorboards and windows. If they were building blocks, they would have teetered. If they were Lego's, they wouldn't have moved.

Why?

Because Lego's are indestructible. Everyone knows that.

The house, however, wasn't made of building blocks or Lego's. It wasn't indestructible either. But it was close and this everyone knew. All of them - Edward, Jasper, Rosalie, Esme, Emmett, Bella, Alice, Carlisle and Seras, especially Seras. The house? It was made of something else, something that Seras couldn't touch, couldn't help but bask in, speculate, enjoy from the outside in. Somewhere, she felt bad for disrespecting it.

Later, she would feel bad, but at the time, the majority of her just didn't care. She was mad plain and simple.

Seras crossed into the kitchen and automatically zeroed in on the pot. It rested enticingly on the stove. Tentatively, she lifted the blue steel lid and eyed the contents inside. _Venison stir-fry. Excellent._ She sniffed it and relaxed. The change was instant. Well... almost, not entirely.

After a moment, she replaced the lid then reached for the cabinet on her right. She snapped it open and retrieved a bowl as well as a fork from a nearby drawer. She secretly thanked God (not for the first time) for vampires who could cook. The irony hadn't escaped her and so she was ever so grateful, in spite her eating habits. She sighed and licked her lips.

Putting the fork down, she grabbed a spatula and began tossing the mixture into the bowl. Her ears perked. Her aura searched. Two people were in the house, Esme and Rosalie. Both were in the office talking softly. She couldn't hear them, not when the front door opened then slammed shut.

Putting down the pot, she placing the spatula onto the counter then eyed the intruder behind her. Instantly, she stalked to the refrigerator. She needed a drink. She wished they had wine.

Takashi walked into the house careful of his shoes. In silence, he padded to the counter and leaned back against it. He'd watched her walk away as he sniffed her dinner. He crossed his arms, then waited for her to speak, his friend, his coworker, his former boss – he tilted his head – his charge, his pack mate, his? His eyebrows furrowed. His?

The silence dragged on and he broke it, feeling it begin to close in on him. It stifled his breathing. "Seras—"

"I know what you are gonna say, and I don't want to hear it."

Her tone was defensive. His eyebrows popped then sank. He eyed her meal and licked his lips. "What do you think I'm gonna say?"

Seras squinted into the ice box seeing everything and nothing. She flailed a hand waving it vaguely in the air. "You know. Why are you here? Where is your seal? Why don't you go…" She trailed off lowering her head, knowing the argument even as it began, knowing where it ended every time.

Takashi sighed, "My stance hasn't changed, and we've been having this conversation for years, Seras. There is no use going through it again."

Seras snorted and closed the refrigerator. "Even after I fired you, you're still acting the role of guard and advisor. You can stop it now, you know? You're dismissed." Her smile was soft. "Released… free to love and be loved and make plenty little wolvie babies."

His smile was even softer. "We are having another, by the way, but that's neither here or there."

Before she could even comment, he frowned and continued, "Anyway, you know what they say about old habits." He walked to her bowl and fingered the fork's subtle curves. They reminded him of others he'd caressed. He eyed her carefully. "And I'm preaching to the choir here, Seras. Your habits are ingrained deeper than shittiest pit in hell."

Again, Seras snorted. It was bitter and dark. "Hell," she muttered. Hell,she wanted to eat, but with where she knew the conversation was headed, she hesitated. She didn't want to see the disappointment in her friend's eyes.

Takashi put the fork down letting it clang softly. His humor fell with it. He rested his hands on the counter and dropped his head. "Seras, why does that boy have your seal and where are your swords?"

Somewhere in that split second his voice grew harder, his tone deeper. She swallowed and played with her sleeves. She hated when he got like this, like she didn't know what she was doing. "He found it when it fell off. I've been waiting for him to return it."

Takashi looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "Waiting?" he growled.

Seras' jaw tightened. She crossed her arms, "He-he took it. He's a jerk and is holding it for ransom and I'll be damned before I give in. He can apologize first."

"Apologize! Seras, do you hear how you sound? How long has he been holding it? Where are your weapons?"

Seras turned, "Chill, Takashi. They're upstairs in a safe."

"A safe… Seras, you of all people should know that sword cannot be out in the open nor removed from your side. What if someone got a hold of it?"

"I know that, and they didn't." _Much._

Takashi put his hands on his hips. His eyes bored into hers. "How long?" he asked pointing at the house.

"They've been in storage for about three days," she answered tentatively.

Yet, Takashi shook his head. "No, how long have you been here?"

She licked her lips and played with her hair. Her spikes were black not blonde. Guilty eyes lowered golden not blue, no longer red. "Two weeks bordering—"

"Two!"

"Well… more like one and a half, but Takashi don't worry!" Seras looked up at him pleadingly. "I saw one of them hurt and lost in the woods and I helped and tripped and my fire went out."

"In human form."

"No—um dragon," Seras closed her eyes. This was going to be bad. "During the blizzard, I fell into the river."

When his face folded in concern and anger, Seras continued on faster, her words colliding together in her haste. "But it's okay. I've been — I haven't been completely unproductive. I've been studying them. They will be the subject of my next book. The vampires? They're completely different from the others. They are nice and friendly and one of them can read minds and see into the future and I can feel it. I'm getting closer. I have this theory..."

Suddenly, she stopped. She'd seen the pity crinkle her friend's eyes: her ex-guard, her ex-advisor, her ex—

"Seras," Takashi whispered shaking his head. He whined. The high pitched sound silenced the voices chattering above them. "No, you aren't closer. These beings, they are just that, different creatures. They're—they aren't your kin. They aren't even like HE was. Sooner or later—" He tried to wrap his hands around her shoulders, but Seras growled and turned away stalking into the living room.

"Why don't you believe me? The Kami said—"

"The Kami are fools."

"You weren't there," she yelled back. She turned around. "You didn't see the cand—"

"You are the last, Seras! When will you ever just accept that? You and your brother, that's it! And that's even if he's still alive. There aren't any more black dragons and—"

"Takashi—"

"And if you really want to see kin, more of your kind? Then, go home! Settle down. Find some youkai to marry and have—"

Seras just looked at him. Her eyes filled with pain, "You said, we weren't supposed to have this conversation today."

Takashi snorted, "That was before you started muttering nonsense. After all these years, after everything that has happened since this foolish quest began, you should know—"

He stopped seeing her begin to shut down. He changed the topic suddenly. "Listen, Sesshomaru called…"

Immediately, Seras turned away, her arms wrapping around her. She closed her eyes.

"He's waiting in England. The prince is..."

Her arms tightened, _Of all the places._

A car door slammed shut halting the conversation. The two stilled surprised. They were so engrossed that they hadn't heard it pull up into the driveway.

Takashi sighed turning back to his friend and ally. She hadn't moved. She stood huddled, crumpled almost. Her head was down, her shoulders hunched." I don't have a home any longer, Takashi. I can't go back after what I did, even if he has forgiven me." Her hand rubbed the scarred skin of her heart. "And even if he did, I still have reason to stay away."

In seconds, the front door would open. In seconds, the monotony of the world would revolve. Time would start, but in that moment, the earth stilled and the seconds halted. It was just her and him alone lost in a world that only they knew. He swallowed as his heart sank.

"I don't have much time."

"I know, imp," he whined. "I know."


	30. Chapter Thirty: Out of Curiousity

"So, how do you know each other?"

"They know that about you too?"

The Cullen's curiosity is satisfied, while Takashi's suspicions continue to descend deeper and deeper. What has Seras been doing? He can only sit back and watch.

* * *

**Ascension**

**Chapter Thirty**

**Out of Curiousity: The Worse Day Ever, Part Eleven**

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Chapter Status:

_Written, but lost… _

Week's Achievements:

_Still compiling scene outline._

**Okay, everyone groan. I lost my journal again. I am looking again. Hopefully, it shows up. If not, hold tight. I'm going to have to rewrite everything.**

**Thank you for your patience.**

**OH! Hey, loyal fans. I got a desktop wallpaper for book two. Here's the link if, you know, you want to see. Yes, I know Takashi doesn't have a beard, but the picture just fit. Let me know what you think. As you can see, you get more Alucard, a new character, and Inuyasha shows up too. That last one on the right... yeah, totally don't know who that is... (^_^)**

**h.. t t p : / / i1313. photobucket albums/t555/Calla_Perrilloux/aviiwallpaper _ zps43c096d4. png**

**Blah, have fun! **

**Remove the spaces and stuff. **

**Calla**

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**This is not the updated chapter. The previous chapter is. This is just a preview for next week.**


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